Endless Horizons
by TheRealRenee
Summary: Chapter 26 now up \\ Haunted by his past, he proceeds to save her life - over and over again... AU. Lita/Edge, Melina/Nitro, Mickie/Shawn, Vince, Undertaker, others to be determined
1. Prologue

_April 1982_

The little boy shook uncontrollably as he cowered in the darkest, deepest corner of the closet. His hands covering his ears, he tried desperately to block the horrid sounds coming from just beyond.

"You can't do this!" a woman's voice cried feebly. She let out a few shrieks as the thick, heavy leather belt came lashing down, down on her milky white exposed flesh.

"I'll do whatever I damn well please, you worthless bitch!" the yelling man replied, following one of the whips of the belt with a deeply cruel laugh.

The child squeezed his eyes shut, a soft whimper escaping him. He didn't know how it was that he wasn't peeing in his pants right now. He hoped the man wouldn't overhear him and come looking for him. He knew exactly what was about to happen, and it tore at his eight-year-old little heart...

... His mother was moments away from dying. He knew it. He'd seen it.

"No! No! No!" he repeated to himself in a loud whisper. He didn't want his mom to die. She was a good lady, a good mother. She worked two jobs to support them, as it had always been just the two of them up until this horrible man had come into their lives. She treated him like a grownup most of the time rather than a little kid, talked to him like a friend. Yet at the same time, she was still Mom and was the best one in the world.

And he'd tried to warn her... Mike was not a good guy. He hadn't seen that at first, but over the course of his mother's relationship with him, the boy had seen... His visions had revealed a whole other side, a dark one, of the man.

"No!" This time, it was not the little boy's voice but his mother's, to shout that short but very mournful word.

He dared to peek out from the slightly cracked open closet door, his eyes widening at the sight he beheld. The bad man had the belt wrapped around his mother's neck!

That finally prompted him into action... Pushing the closet door open as fast as he could manage, the boy ran out and yelled at the top of his lungs.

"You leave my mom alone!" He hit the cruel man with his tiny fists, but it seemed to have little or no effect - although Mike did release the belt with which he was choking the woman. He heard her coughing and sputtering.

"Why, you little bastard!" The man made a lunge for him and grabbed his arm. The little boy finally started crying.

His mother had regained some of her strength as Mike's attention was off of her. She flung herself at her boyfriend and hit and clawed at him, most notably his face.

"Let him go, you monster!" She slapped him. "You do not touch my son! Adam, run!" she yelled.

He stared wide-eyed into her face... She looked terrified, but he knew she was much more so for him than for herself. If he ran, he could go get help. Someone would save his mother.

"Run! Go!!!" she screamed, and the frantic tone of her voice helped him decide.

He ran. He ran as fast as his legs would move, his eyes blinded by a torrent of tears as he went. He ran straight to the nearest neighbors' house, his heart pounding so hard and fast, he was scared it would break...

... On the contrary, it had already broken - because he knew his mom would be dead in a matter of minutes. He knew it was going to happen, that he was too late. He should have called 911 as soon as he'd heard Mike yelling at her. His mother was going to die, and it was all his fault, all his own fault, as far as he was concerned. He cried and cried, knowing he should have been able to save her.

As he reached his neighbors' front door, he pounded on it and shouted for help, all the while looking frantically back over his shoulder. He knew that once Mike was done with his mother, he would go after him as well.

The door opened, and he almost tripped as he rushed over the threshold and inside, breathless as he told his story to the shocked listeners.


	2. Chapter 1

_April 14, 2006_

He stood in his modest kitchen, surprising himself by actually whistling as he chopped onions. The man was fixing breakfast, preparing to make an omelet. He startled himself as he realized he was actually whistling - something he hadn't done consciously or otherwise in a long, long time.

Whistling should have meant that he was happy, or at least content. He wouldn't say he was either of those things.

Shaking off his dire, dark thoughts, he carried the dish of chopped onions to the stove. There, he mixed them in with the beaten eggs he had in a bowl, along with grated cheddar cheese, and poured the contents into the already heated frying pan. And that was when the vision suddenly came.

The man lost his balance as he was nearly blinded by the intensity of it. He cried out, reaching up with both hands to his temples, as the pain was unimaginably unbearable. The vision tore through his head with the most shocking clarity and color, sparking a migraine with its viciousness. Although it only lasted moments, to the man it seemed an eternity.

And then, it was over. He came back to his senses to realize he was sitting on the kitchen floor, the fork he'd used to prepare his meal laying face-down nearby. His temples throbbed and his breath came fast and heavy as he recalled what he'd seen...

... A woman, long red hair... Athletic type. Beautiful but naturally so. She was in possession of a camera... Something wrong, very wrong - with her car. She was going to die. He didn't know the method by which this would happen, as the vision hadn't provided that information. He saw her lovely face fully, a soft and easy smile dominating it... And she was looking directly at him.

Adam Copeland's breathing was still fast and heavy as he slowly rose from the floor. He tossed the fork into the sink and only then smelled the burning - so much for his omelet. He decided to go out to the diner in town for breakfast. And maybe, just maybe, he would run into the young woman he'd seen in the vision. He had no idea who she was and had never seen her before... But that didn't mean he was going to let her die.

/////////////////

"Damn it!"

Amy Dumas wanted to kick the side of her 2001 Dodge Stratus. She tore her hands through her long red hair helplessly as she peered cluelessly under the hood of the car. Although she'd always been a tomboy and never much of a "girly" girl, she knew next to nothing about cars other than driving them.

This was turning out to be a piss-poor day, and it made her heart sink. April fourteenth wasn't just any ordinary day - it was her birthday. Today was her thirty-first, to be exact.

The redhead raised her head and surveyed her surroundings. There was a diner just across the street. She hadn't eaten breakfast yet, as she'd tried to go on an assignment bright and early. She was hungry, and she figured there might be someone inside who could help a damsel in distress with her broken down automobile.

Amy turned her head and suddenly spotted a man she hadn't noticed a minute earlier. She squinted as their eyes met. He was quite tall, with longish blond hair that fell to nearly his shoulders. From this distance, as he was across the street, she couldn't make out the color of his eyes. He was good-looking, even handsome. His face wore just about the oddest expression, however, and it sent an unpleasant chill down her spine. Creeped out, she looked away. If he was a weirdo or crazy, that was the best thing to do - ignore him. He would soon get bored and walk away.

Amy focused her attention on the mechanics of the Stratus, pretending she knew what the hell to do. She reached in with her right hand and touched a wire, but she recoiled in a flash as she burned herself!

"Need some help?"

She looked up quickly, her gaze instantly meeting that of the same man she'd spotted a moment ago. Now that he was this close to her, she could see the color of his eyes - they were green, but the oddest shade of green eyes she'd ever seen anywhere including in cats. They were so dark, deep foresty pools. He was even more handsome than she'd thought, too. Her breath was momentarily lost as she gazed up into his face. Also, at five-seven, she was by no means a short woman, but this man had nearly a foot's height advantage to her. She estimated him as being around six foot five.

"Err... Yeah, I do," she finally managed to stammer. She was quite embarrassed by the amount of time it had taken for her to answer his question.

The tall blond leaned over the ajar hood of the car and peered inside.

"Ahh... Yes, there's definitely something wrong in here."

"Well, I knew that." The redhead felt a little bad for uttering those words.

The man straightened up again to face her. He seemed to gaze right through into her soul with his strange, beautiful eyes as he spoke.

"I'm afraid I'm just like you - I don't know much about fixing cars. By the way, I'm Adam. Adam Copeland." He held one of his large hands out to her.

She eyed him dumbly for a beat, then shook his hand, which was incredibly warm and soft as well as large.

"I'm Amy Dumas."

"Nice to meet you, Amy Dumas." He gazed at her for a long moment, then, "I know someone who eats in there who can fix the car." Their hands were still holding in the handshake, and he finally released hers.

Another vision seemed to be coming to him, but it was so slight and faint that he couldn't even glimpse it. However, he was grateful for that, as the woman might freak out if she witnessed him in the throes of a full-on vision. After all, they'd only just met and she didn't know him or a thing about him.

"All right," the beautiful redhead said with a slight nod. "If someone who eats there can help, great. I'm a little hungry, anyway."

They headed to the diner's door, and as the tall, mysterious blond man stepped back to allow her to enter first, she felt his eyes on her back.

A chill came over her, though she didn't know if it was in a bad or good way.


	3. Chapter 2

Amy looked around as they stepped into the establishment. It was a bright, white and most importantly, clean place with a seemingly pleasant atmosphere. A pretty, petite Latina waitress was zipping back and forth and smiled as she approached them.

"Hello there," she chimed, her smile growing as her brown eyes gazed up at Adam Copeland. "We're a little short-staffed today - Mickie and Trish are both sick." The woman, whom Amy noted from her nametag was named Melina, handed them menus and gestured toward a nearby booth with a tilt of her head. "Feel free to sit anywhere."

"Actually, Mel, I think we'll take the counter."

The waitress smiled again.

"Suit yourself, sugar." She winked and mouthed, 'I'll be right with you' before scurrying off.

The tall blond man ushered his lovely companion toward the counter. Once they were seated and had their menus open, Amy spoke.

"You really think there's someone here who can fix my car?

Adam turned fully to face the pretty redhead. His green eyes fixed on her hazel.

"I know there is."

"You don't mean Melina, do you? Because no offense, but I think she would be just about as incompetent as I am in that department."

Copeland laughed heartily, shaking his head.

"No, I don't mean Melina. But there's a man who comes in here on a daily basis who's very handy and fixes cars for a living. He's a mechanic by the name of Shawn Michaels."

"Okay, great." Amy perked up somewhat, straightening on her stool. "So," she went on, "let's go to this Michaels and ask him for help."

"He's not here," Adam said. "At least not right this minute. Why don't we have some breakfast in the meantime?"

Amy opened her mouth to speak, but the man interrupted her.

"It's on me."

The redhead met his incredibly deep green eyes, her heart flip-flopping as she did so. Who was this handsome, mysterious blond man she'd just met only moments earlier?

She smiled as she found her voice again.

"Thank you." She turned to check the menu still clutched in her hands, the fact that Copeland's gaze was still fixed on her not at all lost on her.

After a long moment, he startled her with his next words.

"Happy birthday."

Amy turned her head slowly in his direction. The tall blond man was eyeing her, a soft smile on his handsome face.

"What?"

"Today's your birthday, isn't it?" he asked, almost shyly.

"Yes... H-How did you know that?"

Adam shook his head. If he answered her question truthfully, it would only freak her out.

"I can't explain," he replied. "It's just... Well, I can just sense when it's someone's birthday. So, once again... Happy birthday."

Amy stared at him, a myriad of thoughts processing at once through her head. How on earth could he have known?

"Thank you," she said softly.

A few minutes of strange silence passed between them until Melina came over to them from the other side of the counter.

"What can I get you guys?" she questioned with a warm smile, a pen in one hand and a tiny pad in the other.

Amy readily ordered pancakes, and Adam ordered the same. He'd been fixed on Eggs Benedict, but what the hell? As the redhead smiled when he seconded her breakfast request, he felt confident he was going to learn a lot about this beautiful woman with whom he was already fascinated.

Later, as they were in the middle of eating and talking, Shawn Michaels appeared.


	4. Chapter 3

Shawn Michaels grimaced as he hovered over the hood of the woman's car. Of course, he didn't have any substantial tools or equipment on him, but he could see the problem with the Dodge. He fiddled with the engine, looking up briefly to eye the two in the diner, still eating and nursing cups of coffee.

Michaels had come in as he always did every morning, hungry and wanting a stack of pancakes and a black coffee before heading off to work. The garage was only less than a mile away, and besides, he didn't have to be there until close to eleven. After all, it was his company, so he could make his own hours - and that was exactly what he did.

He jumped back about a foot as a spark suddenly jolted through his fingertips.

"Shit!" he spat. Well, that was definitely weird. Why that had happened, he hadn't a clue. And when he couldn't figure something out when cars were concerned, it bothered him.

Gingerly and tentatively, the man reached his hands back in, touching the same wire that gave off the spark. When it seemed perfectly fine, he continued working.

"Easy there, Shawn," he chastised himself with a chuckle. "You probably just need your daily cup of joe."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The smiling Melina came back over as she gracefully slid behind the counter again. Amy paused in mid-conversation, instantly taking note of the smooth, easy smile on the Latina's face.

"Can I get you something else?" the waitress asked. Her hands came up to touch the muscular arm of the blond man. And Amy didn't know why, but she felt a strange twinge at that.

"How about another cup of coffee?" Adam suggested, smiling. Although he was already satisfied, he didn't want to go so soon - especially when he learning so much about the gorgeous redhead by his side. He turned to her. "Amy?"

"No, thank you. I'm good." She put a hand up in an almost retreating gesture.

Melina whirled around, gliding to the coffee pot. As Amy eyed her, she came back, smile and all, and poured the brew into the blond man's cup. Only when she was gone did Amy speak again.

"She seems to really like you," she verbally noted.

"Her?" Adam asked. "She's always been friendly and flirty."

"I think she has a crush on you."

The man was silent for a moment. Then, "Maybe..." He helped himself to some more cream for his coffee just as Shawn Michaels returned. He instantly met the other man's eyes as he approached.

"Well... That about does it, young lady. You should be good to go now."

"Thanks again, Mr. Michaels."

"Uh uh... Shawn," the mechanic emphatically corrected.

"Shawn." Amy smiled. "How much do I owe you?" She reached into her purse.

"No," Adam cut in. "I'll take care of that."

"Don't be silly."

"Let him be silly!" Michaels quipped.

The redhead sighed with exasperation and relented, her hands releasing her wallet. She zippered her bag again and folded her arms as she watched the man, who seemed to be fumbling for his own wallet. Their eyes met.

"Thank you," she mouthed. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate him and his kindness - she definitely did. But she was superbly independent and had never liked anyone else to pay her way when it wasn't a date.

She ran her hand through her hair, head slightly downcast then as she wondered why the word 'date' had inadvertently popped into her mind.

"How's the car?" Adam questioned Shawn as he handed him a wad of bills. He didn't even know how much money he'd taken out.

Amy's eyes grew large as she eyed the sum of green in the tall, handsome blond man's hand. Who in hell would carry that kind of money around with him in public?! And as she stared, she began to wonder if Adam Copeland was involved in some sort of illegal activity. The thought made her queasy, and she was suddenly sorry she'd eaten anything at all.

Michaels accepted the bills and sifted through them. He replied to the other man's question and felt the odd sensation of something being right at the edges of his memory, yet he was unable to grasp it.

"Car's going to run just fine now," he said. "It was a very simple problem to fix."

"Great."

The woman was feeling more uneasy by the moment as she watched Shawn hand Adam back some hundreds. What the heck was going on here? She glanced around the restaurant, taking note of other diners and the staff. Nobody seemed to be looking at them as Melina served an elderly couple at a booth near the door. Three teenagers were sitting nearby at another table, playing a hard rock song on their booth's jukebox. And Amy felt as though the walls were closing in and she simply had to get out of there.

"Well, thank you again - both," she said as she slid down and off her stool. She met eyes with Adam briefly but turned abruptly and headed for the door. She supposed she was behaving like an ungrateful bitch in spite of her words, but she felt so uncomfortable.

"Wait..." The tall blond man stood up and reached out toward the retreating woman with his free hand, but he was suddenly held back as a vision struck him. He crashed up against the counter and dropped his wallet, his hand flying up to his brow. It was a painful one and knocked the wind out of him. And what seemed like forever actually lasted a mere minute or so.

"Holy shit, man... Are you okay?" Shawn asked as he shook the younger man's shoulder and peered into his face with concern.

Adam's green eyes were wide as he stared up at the mechanic. He nodded, his hand pressing to his forehead.

"Yeah, I'm okay," he muttered. He couldn't believe what he had just seen. His temples were throbbing painfully, but he managed to sit up again. That was when he realized there was a small crowd around him. He hated the feeling that produced. "Oh, God... God, I have to go!"

"Easy... You just had a seizure or something," Michaels said as he placed a gently restraining hand on the blond man's chest.

"No, I didn't. And you don't understand... I have to go!" In a flash, Adam rose and bolted for the door, people moving out of his way in an instant.


	5. Chapter 4

Amy felt a chill creep up her spine as she slid into the car. She had just shut the door and was about to fasten her seatbelt when he approached. 

The strange, handsome blond man she'd just met not even two hours earlier was hovering over her driver's side. The expression on his sharply featured face looked odd, as though concerned. He mouthed her name and rapped on her window. 

The redhead's eyes widening with alarm, she quickly locked the door. What the hell did he want? He'd been very nice to her and was past exceptionally good-looking, yet he still gave her the creeps. There was just something about him. 

"Amy!" the man shouted. She could hear him loud as day beyond her windows and ton of steel of the automobile. 

"Leave me alone!" she cried. Hastily, she put her key into the ignition. All she wanted to do was get the hell out of there, drive as far away from this madman as she could. 

"No! Amy, you have to get out of the car!" he yelled. He looked absolutely frantic as his hands kept on the vehicle, his green eyes darting and taking in everything around him. 

God damn it... He was too close to the car - still actually touching it - for her to just gun the engine and speed away. She would certainly injure him at the very least should she just go. She couldn't even hit a bird, much less a human being. Still, she dared to back up the slightest amount, at the slowest speed. She wanted out of here. 

"No!" Not caring about his own safety, Adam actually leapt up on the hood of her car. Amy screamed as she stared at him, disbelieving his actions. He was going to try to get in her car, get to her and probably rape her! 

She screamed again as the tall blond man suddenly reappeared at her passenger's side door, his face so close, peering in through the window. Her foot hit the brake, as she was not all aware of her actions in her fright. 

She put the car in neutral and reached with her left hand for the lock on her door. 

Another scream escaped her at the man's next action - he smashed his fist through her passenger's side window. She could hear him cursing as he reached in to unlock the door. And then he grabbed her. 

Amy clawed and kicked, struggling with him as he pulled and yanked on her. 

"Look, you have to trust me!" he shouted. "We have to get out!" 

The redhead didn't reply but also didn't stop fighting him. He was so strong! She had noticed he was muscular, but not too much so, and he was quite lean. But he was incredibly, deceptively strong. 

Adam managed to get the struggling woman out of the car, and, holding her up, broke into a trot-run. He ignored the small crowd of spectators that had gathered in front of the restaurant across the road. He had to get her away from that car. 

Amy struck out at him with one small fist, barely connecting. She seemed indignant, her fear of him evidently gone as she yelled. 

"What do you want out of me!" 

He ignored the question for the time being and kept running, half-dragging and half-carrying her along. And then, they suddenly fell to the ground as an almost sonic boom seemed to shake the earth beneath their feet. Instinctively, Adam covered the woman's much smaller body with his own for protection. 

After he deemed it safe, he moved as he felt Amy do the same. He rolled off of her as she raised her head, her hazel eyes wide as she stared with disbelief over her shoulder... 

... Where her Dodge Stratus had been parked was now a large fireball... A couple of other cars nearby had apparently caught fire as well. Oh, my God! Her mind reeled. What in hell's name was going on! 

She gasped, in complete and utter shock as she shifted her wide eyes on Adam Copeland. 

"Oh, my God! What...? My God, you... You saved my life!" 

The tall blond man didn't respond. Instead, after a moment, he stood back up and helped her, offering his right, uninjured hand. 

Only then did Amy realize his left was bleeding. She winced and stared with horror. 

"Your hand... Oh, my God. I think you need stitches... You..." She once again met his eyes, which now seemed unbelievably calm. "... You knew, didn't you? You somehow knew what was going to happen." 

Adam nodded. 

"I did." 

She cocked her head, her breathing still fast from the ordeal, as she stared at him. Who was this mysterious, handsome man? What had just occurred absolutely took her breath away... It was so surreal. She had about a million questions in her head, but now was not the time to voice them. 

She suddenly heard sirens in the distance. They were getting nearer. She looked back down at his left hand, still bleeding due to him smashing out her passenger's side window - to save her life. 

The sirens drew still closer. Amy looked in the direction of them, and of her still flaming car and saw the fire trucks. An ambulance was also approaching. 

"Come on," she said, her head cocking again as she regarded him. "That hand is going to need medical attention." 

The blond man nodded, and then they started walking to meet the ambulance halfway. 


	6. Chapter 5

Adam barely winced as the doctor stitched up his torn hand. It wasn't that he felt no pain in spite of the local anesthesia, but he'd gotten pretty good at not reacting to pain a long time ago. 

He thought about Amy Dumas, knowing she was out in the hospital's waiting room. She had absolutely insisted on staying until he was ready to leave. She had even wanted to come into the room, but the nurse hadn't allowed that since she wasn't family or his wife, or even girlfriend. 

As the doctor patched him up, the tall blond man briefly reflected on his life. His childhood had been anything but happy. For the first eight years of his life, he'd had a wonderful, loving mother, but no father - the man had never married his mom and had walked out when she'd been six months pregnant. And then, Mike had come into their lives when he was almost six... Before then, it had always been Mom and him. Mike had changed everything. Unfortunately, it hadn't been for the better. 

The man had been okay for the first few months. Adam had even liked him. He'd bought him and his mother gifts, taken them on nice trips... But then, it had all fallen apart when he'd begun showing his true colors - abusive colors. Mike would yell, scream, curse... It got to the point that Adam would run to his closet to hide out so as to drown out the horrible sounds. A lot of times, he even fell asleep on the floor of the closet, along with a blanket he'd brought with him. 

Then, after about a year, Mike became physically violent toward his mother. He'd only really seen a slap delivered to her for the longest time, until Adam wandered outside to the yard when he was seven and a half. They were out there, by the garage, arguing about the garden hose, of all things - and that was when he saw Mike punch her. 

He hadn't done anything... Well, he'd burst into tears and run back to the house, but that was it. He'd always hated himself for that, for not standing up to that monster and defending Mom that day. 

"All right, you're good to go now." 

The doctor's voice penetrated his bitter thoughts. Adam looked down at his hand, which was now sporting not only stitches but a bandage as well. 

"Try to keep that dry for the next week. You can come back next Friday and we'll remove the stitches." 

The tall blond man nodded as he glanced up at the man. 

"Thank you." 

A moment later, Adam headed out of the room and down the hospital corridor. As he approached the waiting room, his gaze instantly caught sight of her. The beautiful redhead was sitting off to one side of the room, her arms wrapped around herself. She appeared worried or anxious. A television set was tuned to CNN and was bolted up high for the view of all occupants of the room, but the woman was not paying any attention to it. 

Amy raised her head and immediately caught his gaze. She quickly got to her feet and approached him, meeting the blond man halfway, her eyes taking notice of his wounded hand. 

"Are you okay?" she asked, her hazel eyes filled with concern as she met his green orbs. 

Adam nodded. 

"I'll be fine." He grew silent as they walked together, side-by-side down the hospital hallway to the exit doors. 

The redhead eyed him with concern, awe and some other emotions she couldn't quite name. She was still so overwhelmed by what had happened so short a time earlier. This man had saved her life... They hardly knew each other, were basically strangers... Yet, he had risked his own life to save hers. She got this notion that she should do something, thank him in some way, somehow. But she had no idea how she could possibly repay him for what he'd done. 

"Are you going to be able to get where you need to go?" 

Her thoughts were startled by the man's sudden question. This time, he was eyeing her with genuine concern. They had rode an ambulance to the hospital, so they had no means of transportation on hand. 

"I... I guess so," she replied. She felt uncertain, but she supposed she could walk back to her house. Thank goodness she had insurance for both her car and the photography equipment she'd lost in the fire. Luckily, she had a lot more supplies where that came from, safe at home. 

Adam stared at her wordlessly, with extreme intensity. Inside, he was roiling with a myriad of emotions. He knew where he had to go, who to approach once he got away from here. He had questions, and he needed answers. 

"All right," he finally said. "I really have to run, but thanks for coming with me. See you around." 

The redhead opened her mouth to speak, but she was so utterly surprised that no sound emerged. She raised her hand in a wave, although he was already briskly walking away. 

"Yeah... See you around." 


	7. Chapter 6

Adam gritted his teeth, his good hand clenching instintively as he walked. Inside of him, a rage had been building up ever since he'd left the hospital.

He had to know. He had to. His brisk, even pace was deliberate as he approached the auto body shop. He could feel a snarl building up inside of him, and only when he was inside the place, springing to grab the man did he release it.

"You son of a bitch! You knew, didn't you? You knew!"

"Wha...? Ah-" Shawn Michaels could hardly breathe as he stared up at Adam, the bigger, taller man looking furious enough to kill him as his large hand clutched him by the throat. His windpipe was steadily being deprived of precious oxygen.

"Don't lie to me, Michaels!" the enraged blond man shouted. His green eyes were wide and wild. "You knew her car was gonna explode, didn't you?"

Shawn began to instantly, frantically shake his head, as he could barely get out the simple word of 'no.' His blue eyes widened, and the younger man wasn't sure it was due to his air supply being cut off or shock over such an accusation. Maybe it was a combination of both.

"No!" he managed to just croak out. "P-Please, Adam... Let me go!"

The taller man reluctantly did so, and Michaels instantly began to cough and sputter, blessed air finally entering his lungs again.

At that moment, another man suddenly ran over.

"You okay, boss?" he asked, his eyes taking in the scene, eyeing Adam suspiciously.

The tall blond man recognized the employee as Johnny Nitro. The young man had only started working for Michaels a couple of weeks earlier and would definitely be no match for him if he started something... Not that Adam was looking for a fight; he only wanted answers... And if Shawn was lying, then he would do something.

"Yeah," the older man replied. "It's fine, Johnny... Get back to work." He waved the young man back with a gesture of his left hand.

Nitro nodded as he backed off but kept his gaze on Adam. And once he was out of earshot, the tall blond man turned back to Michaels, his stance menacing.

"You're going to tell me the truth, and now. Amy Dumas' car blew up this morning. And you had nothing to do with that?"

"No," Shawn sputtered. "I mean, I probably did have something to do with it... But I swear," he went on, raising both hands before him in a defensive manner, "I didn't intend for that to happen. I tried to fix her car, nothing more. I swear it."

Adam stared at the older man, unmoved by both his words and gesture. As gingerly as he could manage due to his injured hand, he crossed his arms over his chest.

"The police told Amy they found explosive materials under the hood of her car. How in hell do you explain that, Shawn?" He asked the question in a surprisingly calm tone of voice. So calm, in fact, that it gave Michaels the chills.

"My God... I..." Shawn shook his head, which was practically spinning by now. This was all simply insane! "I can't," he said. "I swear, Adam - I had absolutely nothing to do with that. All I did was tinker with the engine with some tools I had on me and that was it. You saw me when I came into the diner this morning."

The blond man blinked as the memory of that morning came back to him. Michaels was right. He'd been wearing a toolbelt with a few small tools on it, but there was definitely no room for anything like explosives. For that, he probably would have needed at least a duffel bag. He exhaled deeply, filled with regret for how he had approached the man.

"Shit." He ran his good hand through his shoulder-length blond hair, suddenly barely able to look the other man in the eyes. "Shawn, I'm really sorry."

Michaels' breathing was by now fully back to normal. He nodded.

"It's okay, Adam."

"No, I... Jeez, I thought you-" He cut off his speech, changing directions. "I hope we're still friends. I just got this vision of her getting in the car and-"

"I know," Shawn said gently, "it's okay, Adam. We're still friends."

"Damn it!" the taller man spat. He was still angry, but with himself now. "Why didn't a vision of the person responsible come to me?" He was speaking openly about his visions because Shawn knew all about them. Ever since he'd had the one about the kids in the school bus nearly two years earlier, he'd known. Adam had been at the garage for work on his car when that one had hit. Michaels had been there to witness it and hadn't bought the flimsy excuse he'd given of having an epileptic seizure. Due to that, the blond man had confessed the truth.

"Who did it, then?" he asked, more to himself than to Shawn. His gaze cast down at the floor as he was tortured by the thought. "Who the hell did it?"

"I don't know," Michaels replied. "But I do know that one way or another, you're going to find out."

Adam raised his head to meet his friend's eyes. He nodded, knowing Shawn was right. He would get to the bottom of this mystery.


	8. Chapter 7

"It's all yours, miss," the man said with a smile. He gestured to the four-year-old black Toyota Camry Amy had just purchased.

"Thank you, Mr. Heyman," she said gratefully, and the portly used car salesman handed her back the credit card.

"Call me Paul."

Followed by the salesman, the redhead stepped through the glass door to the outside to the lot area where her new car was located, along with lots of other vehicles. She had taken the Camry on a test drive two days prior and had decided she would take it. It was in prime shape, and she'd wondered why the original owner had sold it in the first place. Paul Heyman had remembered the situation with that particular car quite well - the woman had come into a bit of money and had opted for a more extravagant ride.

Heyman held the door open for her in a gentlemanly gesture, and she got in. Amy hefted her bag of photography equipment over her shoulder to the backseat. Then, she faced forward again, and the man closed the door for her.

She rolled the window down halfway.

"If you experience any problems, you come right back," he said. "Though I don't think you should. This baby is good as new."

"I'll do that," she assured him with a smile. "Thanks again."

Paul stepped back and smiled as he held a hand up in a goodbye wave and nodded. The young woman waved back as she backed out of the space and drove out of the lot.

She was relieved. She'd really hit the jackpot finding Heyman's used car dealership. She'd done her research online, and he seemed favorable to customers, received decent ratings. Upon actually seeing the man, she'd initially thought he would be a slippery character who would try to cheat her, but it hadn't been the case. The vehicle ran nearly as good as new, and he'd given her a very fair deal on it.

Amy sighed contentedly as she felt the wind ruffle her hair. She didn't have an assignment until a few hours later, so she decided to just drive around and enjoy the morning and her new car.

She drove into the small town, her thoughts shifting to the mysterious man she'd so recently met. What was his story? She really wondered about Adam Copeland.

Amy was still thinking about the man several minutes later when she stopped for a red light. Situated behind a silver two-seater Lexus, she gazed around, her eyes catching the reflection of the driver...

... It was him.

Her heartbeat quickened at the recognition. Her breath caught in her throat. Barely able to swallow, she raised her left hand to wave it outside the window, but she got no reaction in response. Should she honk her horn? Obviously, that would have to get his attention.

Amy's mouth ran dry as she made up her mind. Lightly honking the horn with her right hand, she again waved out the driver's side window with her left.

The light suddenly went green, and although the blond man seemed to glance at her through his rearview and driver's side mirrors alternately, the Lexus sped off. Aside from that, there was no reaction.

The redhead winced. He had to have seen her and known it was her. What was his problem? Had she really made that poor of an impression on the day they'd met? Certainly, he couldn't blame her. After all, she was a single woman in a strange new town. Her reaction had been only natural.

Copeland was speeding way ahead of her. And although it was quite irrational and even stalkerish, she wanted to follow him. What was he up to? More importantly, who was that mysterious, handsome man?

Her curiosity getting the better of her, Amy pressed her foot hard on the accelerator of her new car. She put the pedal to the metal and shot down the road after the silver Lexus.


	9. Chapter 8

Adam pressed his foot, which was on the accelerator, nearly to the floor. He knew he had very little time to act, or that was it.

The most recent vision had struck him early that morning. He had been in the shower, lathering up with soap, when the fierce migraine-like pain had come. He'd been lucky not to smack his head against the glass shower door or the wall tiles.

What he'd seen was pure, unthinkable, unadulterated horror. As it had passed, the next thing he'd realized was that he'd dropped the soap, and the spray of water had gone nearly cold. He'd quickly rinsed off, foregoing shaving, and got out.

He started to wonder about the person who'd been behind him several miles back, who'd honked at him. However, he pushed the incident to the back of his mind. Lord knew, he didn't have the time to dwell on or think about that at the moment. He had to concentrate on getting to that place, and saving those lives. If he failed to get there in time, it would be _his_ responsibility that so many innocent lives would be lost.

He clenched his teeth as he sped forth. There was little traffic on the road he was traveling, but in spite of that, he hoped there were no police cruisers out there, waiting to pull over drivers such as himself. He couldn't afford that, and he would have no choice but to ignore a siren if police should suddenly give chase.

Briefly, Adam noticed another car some distance behind him through the rearview mirror. It was far enough away that he really couldn't make out any specifics of the vehicle or the driver inside - except that it was a black car.

He couldn't help but wonder if this was the same black car that had been behind him some miles back. He groaned, hoping the driver wasn't some nut experiencing a bout of road rage. That was about the _last_ thing he needed at the moment.

There seemed to be no imminent confrontation as he continued on. The other car remained at a distance behind him, much to his relief. But another thought came to his mind - was the other driver actually stalking him? He realized they'd been behind him for awhile.

The blond man pushed it all out of his mind for the time being. He had to get to that building, to the location.

He drove several more miles, wishing he'd stopped by the garage to ask Shawn to go with him. What if he were to experience another vision while he was driving? He didn't even want to contemplate that.

Several more miles up ahead, he spotted it... He eased up on the accelerator as he made the lane change, his breath coming faster, heart beginning to quicken. It was either act or fail, do or die.

The tall blond man sped a distance ahead of the yellow school bus, abruptly stopping his car in the center of the road and putting it in park. He had his vehicle set up as a roadblock to force the bus driver to stop, or doom would await him and all the kids riding therein.

Adam jumped out of the car, running in front of it, arms waving, not even thinking about how he was putting his own life in danger. The bus driver _had_ to stop that thing, and now! He jumped up and down like a madman as the huge vehicle rounded the bend.

"Stop! Stop!"

The bus driver frowned at the spectacle of the man in the road. He was jumping up and down, waving his arms and yelling like a lunatic... He probably _was_ a lunatic.

"Aw, come on!" he cried, annoyed. His bus and this guy's car were the only vehicles on the road at this time of morning... and he had to get the kids to the elementary school by eight.

The blond man suddenly approached the bus, gesturing to him and knocking on the door. Reluctantly, the driver opened it, but with the intent of telling the guy off.

"Hey, man, what the hell is your problem?!"

Adam finally seemed able to catch his breath.

"You can't go this way," he said as calmly as he could. "Not today. Just... trust me on this."

"Like hell!" the middle-aged bus driver sputtered. "What are you, crazy? Get out of the road, you nut!"

The blond man shook his head vehemently, knowing he was going to have to put his body in front of the bus again.

"No, you don't understand! The kids are in danger... _You're_ in danger!"

"Buddy, get lost! Move your car!" the man shouted. He shut the doors, and Adam acted as quickly as he could.

There were only two fairly narrow lanes on this particular road. He'd parked his car in a way that he was blocking both. He went back to it, noting the furious look on the bus driver's face, and that the man was angrily muttering. He also noticed that quite a few kids were now staring out at him, looking puzzled.

All of a sudden, the loud, crackling sound hit his ears as the rockslide began less than a mile up ahead. He stared in the direction of the disaster, covering his ears with his hands, and looked back at the bus behind him. The driver's face now wore an expression of shocked horror.

Amy gasped as she slowed her car to a stop behind the school bus. The rockslide was clearly visible not too far ahead, and she saw Adam's silver Lexus. He'd saved their lives!

Her breathing heavy, in spite of herself, she reached into the backseat for one of her cameras. She couldn't miss getting some shots of this!


	10. Chapter 9

Adam did a double-take, nearly unable to believe his eyes. The crazy woman was taking pictures - he knew who that was. And, putting two and two together, he knew that _she_ had been the person tailing him on the highway.

His blood boiling, he started to march in her direction. He was fully intent on giving her a verbal lashing, his hands clenching into fists at how angry he felt, when the vision suddenly struck him.

He collapsed against the side of his Lexus, his temples splitting. The face that came into his mind was beautiful, terror-filled, and so familiar...

... It was Amy Dumas - yet again. She was once again in danger. A car, out of control... Not because the driver was drunk... They were going to lose control due to the rockslide, because they weren't yet aware of it... Amy... Screaming, struck by the car... The blood, the horror.

The tall blond man sprang into action as the vision cleared, his eyes focusing in an instant. He raced over to her, his steps surprisingly steady. A surge of rage still coursed through him. She was in trouble.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he cried, waving and gesturing at her before her camera.

She unfocused and lowered the lens. A dumbfounded expression crossed her lovely face, her lips parted. This was definitely awkward. He'd suddenly caught onto her. He knew, and she could read that in his eyes, his entire demeanor.

"Are you crazy, lady? You have to get out of here!"

Amy's embarrassment gave way for annoyance. What exactly was his problem? Sure, she'd followed him, but she hadn't meant any harm.

"What? I have a right to photograph this!" she exclaimed defensively. "Last I checked, it was a free country!"

"You're insane, you know that?" the man snarled. "You're nothing but trouble! You're gonna get yourself killed!"

She gave him an odd look. She was apparently clueless, judging by that look. She just didn't get it.

Adam strained his ears as she began shouting back at him again, and he all but drowned out her voice. He had no choice; he had to listen for the car, which was probably just around the bend.

"So I followed you!" she cried. "I guess I shouldn't have, but I can take pictures if I want - it's not-"

Her words were cut off as Adam acted, rashly grabbing her. She barely had a chance to even react but was grateful for the presence of mind to keep a firm grip on her camera.

The man carried her over to one side of the road, and that was when the nearly deafening sound of screeching tires hit her ears. She felt herself hitting the soft dirt of the ground, her camera finally dropping from her grip. A gust of air blew from her lungs and between her lips as she felt the man's weight briefly crashing on her as they rolled.

Amy raised her head at the sound of the crash. The blue Chevy had struck the railing on the opposite side of the road - exactly in the spot she'd just been standing... Adam Copeland had saved her life - again.

She stared, transfixed, at the scene. The driver was apparently unharmed as he opened the door and stepped out. The hood of the vehicle had popped open upon impact.

Amy squeezed her eyes shut, wincing as she feared another explosion like the one that had claimed her Stratus. She turned to meet Adam's eyes, which also stared, unblinkingly, at the accident. Slowly, he shifted his green orbs toward her, and she knew he was perfectly able to read her mind.

However, when he spoke a moment later, she thought she might have actually been wrong this time. He gave her a stern look, and her blood ran cold.

"Next time you happen to see me, do yourself a favor and stay away." The tall blond man's voice was eerily calm and soft. "Stay _away_ from me," he repeated.

With that, he rose, brushing himself off. He walked briskly away from her and simply left his car where it was, leaving on foot.

She continued to hover there, her breath coming in fast. Shocked, she retrieved her camera, clutching it against her as though protectively. She realized she could have been killed, had it not been for Copeland.

Lady! Lady, are you all right?"

She suddenly became aware of the man - the driver who'd just crashed - calling to her. He hurried over, offering her a hand.

"I'm fine," she said, still shaken. It was all she could offer as she accepted his hand. For some reason, she felt absolutely horrible about the impression she'd given the mysterious tall blond man named Adam.


	11. Chapter 10

_April 28th_

It was exactly two weeks after her birthday. It was also exactly two weeks since Amy had met the very mysterious enigma named Adam Copeland.

She hadn't seen him in a few days now. It was surprising because she knew he frequented the local diner, and she'd made sure to come in every day since the rockslide.

She chewed her lower lip as she pondered things. She knew the man had told her she needed to stay away from him, but she needed to see him. She had questions and wanted answers. Damn it, she was not some crazed stalker! She had every right to know what it was that Copeland seemed to know when disaster was going to strike before it actually happened - since it had involved her on two occasions.

Amy considered looking up or inquiring about Shawn Michaels' garage. She knew the mechanic was friends with the other man, so he was bound to be equipped to help her. On the other hand, she didn't want to accidentally run into Adam there, nor did she want Shawn to say anything to him about her visiting.

"How is everything?"

The redhead looked up at the sound of the voice, startled from her reverie.

Melina stood watching her from behind the counter, her hand on her hip and a small smile on her face.

Amy looked down at her nearly empty plate of dinner, then back up again. She'd been here during breakfast time but had come back at night as well, hoping to catch the tall blond man - with no such luck.

"Oh, delicious," she told the pretty brunette. "Thanks so much."

"Don't mention it." The woman reached behind herself, untying her apron as she came out from behind the counter. She made a beeline for the front door and turned the 'Open' sign the opposite way so that it now showed 'Closed' on the other side of the window. It was only then that Amy realized that she was the only customer left in the place, and that Melina was the only employee still there.

The Latina came back over, her apron in hand, she she checked her watch.

"I'm sorry if I'm holding you up."

"No, it's okay... Someone's meeting me here anyway," the waitress replied.

Amy finished the small bit of morsels still in her plate and sighed. She gratefully accepted the check Melina handed her and reached into her purse for her wallet.

"Melina, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, hun... Just hope I can answer it. What's on your mind?"

The redhead smiled, and the other woman eyed her warmly. She hesitated for the briefest moment, wondering how she should broach the subject. Then, she decided just doing so was all she could do.

"Well," Amy began, "it's about Adam Copeland... You know - the tall, good-looking blond man who comes in here sometimes but who hasn't been here recently?"

"Oh, yeah," Melina said, smiling even more brightly, and the redhead didn't know why, but she felt slightly uneasy because of that. "Of course I know Adam. Nice guy... We went out once."

Amy arched an eyebrow in surprise. At the same time, she'd noticed from the first moment Melina Perez had waited on them her first time here, how friendly she'd been with him.

"Really?"

"Yeah," the brunette said. "It was only once, about a year or so ago. We got along great, but we mutually realized that it was strictly a just-friends vibe between us."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Melina said. She met the other woman's hazel eyes, noting a hint of anxiety in them. "What do you want to know about him?"

Amy opened her mouth to speak but hesitated for a beat. What _didn't_ she want to know about him?

"Well... I was just wondering," she said nervously. She tucked some red strands of hair behind one ear and straightened up on the stool at which she was sitting. "What do you know about him? I mean, other than that he's a nice guy and all..."

Melina made a slightly funny face, complete with her lips pursed as she thought about that.

"Hmm... Well, I know he graduated from the same high school as I did, only five or six years earlier... He's very private, you know?"

The redhead nodded vigorously at the question. She knew better than anyone that Copeland was private, to say the least.

"Oh... Right," Melina said, apparently recalling some important bit of information. She turned her back for a moment as she busied herself at the dessert display. A moment later, she turned forward again and placed a small plate with a slice of five-layer chocolate cake in front of Amy. "On the house," she said with a cordial wink.

"Mmm, thanks," Amy said.

Then, "Oh... His mother died when he was very young. There were rumors all through school about it. I never knew who the kids were talking about until I actually met Adam myself, but the story was that his mom was murdered."

The other woman looked up from the cake and met Melina's brown eyes. Horror coursed through her at the revelation. She wondered what exactly had happened to Adam's mother, and how old he'd been when it happened. How horrible that must have been for him!

"Oh, my God."

"Yeah, I couldn't imagine."

Melina's attention was suddenly diverted as a knock sounded on the door. A smile crossed her face, and she squealed with delight as she bounded out from behind the counter to the door.

Amy glanced over her shoulder as a young man stepped inside. The two kissed hello, and the brunette shut the door behind him and brought him over.

"Amy, meet my boyfriend, Johnny."

The redhead smiled at the handsome, dark-haired, tan young man. He was clad in jeans and a short-sleeved button-down workshirt with the emblem "Nitro" on the upper right-hand side of it.

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Johnny said with a warm smile. He had one arm wrapped around his girlfriend's slender waist and shook her hand with his free one.

Shortly thereafter, Amy left as Melina and Nitro were heading out on their date. She mentally replayed everything the brunette had told her and decided that, come morning, she would do some investigating.


	12. Chapter 11

He sniffled as he snatched up the bouquet of flowers from the passenger's seat, then left the car. He had to do this, even though it was difficult. It was very long overdue, and for that, he felt extremely guilty.

Adam felt a lump in his throat but swallowed it down as he walked. The pleasant fragrance of the gorgeous white lilies he held tickled his nostrils. He began to blink more rapidly as he felt his eyes moistening.

The tall blond man felt his stomach clench as he stepped into the cemetery. And although it had been a good five years since he'd last been there, he remembered exactly where the plot was located. It was etched in his memory forever. In moments, he was there.

Adam stood silent and still in front of the grave, his gaze trained on the gray marble headstone. His hands shook a little as he read the inscription - _Judy Anne Copeland, Beloved Daughter, Sister and Mother. 1951-1982._

He felt the burning hot tears slipping down his cheeks and felt like that eight-year-old boy again as he sank to his knees on the grave.

"Mom..." he said, barely managing the word in a whisper. "... I brought these for you." He neatly and so carefully placed the bouquet against the headstone. He bowed his head, his shoulder-length blond hair fanning his face like two wings.

"I'm sorry, Mom... I know it's been ages since I've visited. I know I should do so more often, but..." He reached out and touched the marble so gently and lovingly. "... I'm not going to make any excuses," Adam murmured. "It's so tough." He felt the tears trickling down his cheeks to his chin and sighed. God, he hated this. His mother had died so many years ago, but damn if he didn't need her more than ever. Ever since the visions had been growing more intense, and coming more frequently, he'd felt more vulnerable, like he had as a little boy.

Adam sat there and merely cried for awhile. He glanced up for a beat, noticing how deserted the cemetery truly was. Aside from himself, the only other living soul had been an old woman several plots away, probably visiting her deceased husband. She had left a few minutes earlier.

"I'm sorry, Mom," the blond man said, repeating himself from earlier in his graveside visit. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you." With that, he kissed the fingertips of his left hand and again softly touched the headstone. "I love you," he whispered.

He stood back up and slowly left the cemetery. As he walked back to the Lexus, he took some comfort in the fact that at least it seemed he would be having a relaxing, low-key day. Thank goodness no vision had struck him.

--

"Very good, Amy! You did great work here."

The redhead smiled with pride as she thanked the owner of the newspaper for which she worked. It wasn't often that Mr. Vince McMahon actually stopped by, but it was a pleasant surprise that he seemed to favor her output. He was examining her photos from the rockslide. And, judging also by the expression on the man's face, he was quite impressed.

"You have some talent, young lady," McMahon told her. "Keep up the fantastic work."

"Thank you, Mr. McMahon," she replied. She was nearly flushed with her sense of accomplishment.

The older man nodded at her courteously and excused himself. He walked a small ways down the hall to Amy's supervisor's office, closing the door behind him, to the sound of it.

The redhead checked her watch, only then realizing that it was time to go home.

She started packing up her things, thoughts of Adam Copeland coming to her yet again. That had to be a record for the last hour alone as far as how many times he'd entered her mind went. And she still had yet to do her hard research. She'd planned to hit the library for an hour, since she knew it was open until seven that night.

"Goodnight, Miss Dumas."

She looked up abruptly, just in time to see Mr. McMahon on his way out. He offered her a smile.

"Goodnight, Mr. McMahon."

About five minutes later, she was all ready to leave herself when her boss stopped her.

"Amy... One minute, before you leave." Mark Calloway had stepped out of his office and was waving her over. He was quite a big man, actually near seven feet, and had long, dark auburn hair.

Wordlessly, she stepped toward him.

"Yes, Mark?"

"Well, I guess congratulations are in order," the man stated.

"Excuse me?"

"Mr. McMahon is giving you a raise," he elaborated, surprised the owner apparently hadn't told the woman himself. "He's very impressed with your work, and he just informed me that you will be getting one, effective immediately."

Amy's jaw dropped in surprise.

"Really?" she asked. The news seemed too good to be true!

"Really," Mark said with a smile. "Keep up the good work, lady... You have a good night as well."

"Thank you!" she said, shocked. "Goodnight!"

_What an unbelievably pleasant surprise!_ Amy thought as she left the building. She could not get over it.

As she got into her Toyota, her mind shifted back to her other business. She was headed for the library.

Half an hour later, she was seated at a microfiche machine and sifting through some old newspapers. Before too long, she found the issue she'd been searching for.

Amy gasped in horror as she read the article. It was all about a little boy, eight years old, and his mother, who'd been brutally murdered by a boyfriend.

There was actually a picture of the boy... And, although she'd never seen a picture of him as a child, she instantly recognized him as Adam Copeland.


	13. Chapter 12

Adam stood across the street from the diner, in front of his Lexus. He raised his sunglasses over his eyes, staring at the building. Did he dare?

He hadn't been in the place for the better part of two weeks, ever since his two encounters with Amy Dumas.

He'd meant what he'd said - he wanted the woman to stay away from him. It wasn't that he wasn't attracted to her... On the contrary, he _was_, very much so, but he couldn't afford to have a woman in his life at the moment, especially that one. She was trouble, as he'd told her the last time they'd been face-to-face. Besides, it was for her own damn good.

His mind made up, the blond man strolled across the street. He missed the food and pleasant atmosphere here. He pushed his way through the door and glanced around quickly, relieved that she wasn't there. Sighing upon the realization, he headed for the counter up front and took an empty stool.

"Good morning, doll," Melina said, offering him a pleasant smile.

He smiled as well as he greeted her. God, but he'd missed her!

"I was beginning to wonder if you were ever coming back," the young woman remarked as she poured him some coffee.

Gratefully, the man accepted the hot beverage. Adding cream and sugar, then stirring the contents in the cup, he winked at her.

"You know me, Melina. I just can't stay away from you."

The women laughed softly, then grew a little serious as she leaned over the counter to face him. She shrugged, shaking her head.

"But seriously, Adam," she said, "why have you been away so long? Did it have anything to do with a woman?"

The tall blond man paused in mid-sip, lowering his coffee to meet her dark eyes. Melina Perez might not have been psychic like himself, but she was extremely perceptive. He shook his head as he replied.

"What makes you think that?"

"Well," the Latina began, "you're always here... Then, all of a sudden that new woman, Amy, starts coming in regularly and you just disappear. Is it anything to do with her car blowing up two weeks ago? I mean, I know that experience had to be traumatic, but don't you think you're being a little silly, blaming her for that?"

Adam eyed her strangely. Did she really think _that_ was what it was all about? Quite simply, Melina didn't have a clue as to what was really going through his head. So much for him thinking of her as perceptive.

"No," he said, looking her squarely in the eye. "It's got nothing to do with that."

"Hold that thought," the waitress said with one forefinger held up. She moved over to a table across the way to take the order of four diners who'd just stepped in. Before she made her way back, she paused to chat a little with Mickie James, the other waitress.

Adam was enjoying his cheddar cheese omelet when someone sidled up to him, taking the empty stool to his right.

"Mornin', Adam."

It was only Shawn. The tall blond man turned his head and raised his free hand to wave a greeting to his friend. Thank goodness Amy Dumas hadn't just walked in.

"How's it going?" the mechanic asked. "Haven't seen you here in a bit." He looked up as Melina came back over. "I'll have my usual, sweetheart."

"It's going fine," Adam lied. He hadn't meant to make himself scarce to his friends, but somehow, in the middle of his troubles, that was exactly what had happened.

"I read about the rockslide in the paper, you know."

The younger man looked up sharply. However, that news didn't surprise him one bit.

"Oh."

"'Oh?' Bet you didn't know your picture was in there, huh?" Shawn asked.

This time, Adam stared at him.

"What are you talking about?"

Michaels reached into a small outer pocket of his toolbelt. He came up with a folded up piece of newpaper seconds later. Unfolding it, he presented it to his friend.

"Right there," he said as he pointed to the photo. "That's you, ain't it?"

The tall blond man stared. He nodded. It was him in the picture, all right. And, as he looked even closer, he could clearly read the caption with the photographer's name - _"Amy C. Dumas."_ He felt his jaw setting angrily as his teeth clenched and tried to hold in his temper.

"I had no idea," he finally said.

The photograph depicted him just outside the school bus, the rockslide off in the slight distance. That bitch... He'd had no idea she'd actually taken _his_ picture.

"Hey, great shot!" Melina exclaimed with a grin as she craned her neck to look at the page of crumpled newspaper Shawn still held out in his hands.

Adam looked up at her.

"Thanks, Melina," he muttered.

"Look at you, you're a local celebrity!" she sang.

He didn't respond to that. All he knew was that he was pissed off, and he certainly didn't _feel_ like a celebrity. And quite frankly, he'd gotten enough of being treated like one all his years of school when he went away to college. Actually, he'd been treated more like a ticking time bomb than a celebrity, or like a freak. He'd been the only kid in school whose mother had been brutally murdered, after all.

Adam was done with his breakfast long before Shawn was finished with his own. He placed some bills on the counter for Melina and stood up.

"Look, Shawn... We'll talk more soon, I promise." He paused and then, "Do you mind if I take that?" He pointed to the newspaper page, which was sitting folded up next to Michaels' plate.

"Not at all - be my guest."

"Thanks." He took it and shoved it into the back pocket of his jeans. "I gotta go. See you soon," he said, clapping a hand to the older man's left shoulder. "You too, Melina."

"Bye, Adam," the brunette called with a wave.

The blond man was seething as he stepped outside of the restaurant. And he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, he was going to find Miss Dumas and have some words with her.


	14. Chapter 13

Amy was on assignment, her camera in tow as she drove to the location she'd been assigned to. It wasn't any big attraction, just the local carnival that was in town for spring.

Oh well... At least she could go on a few of the rides, see the animals and get some cotton candy and popcorn. As a kid, she had always loved amusement parks and carnivals. The thought of going on this assignment, while it was by no means glamorous, made her feel playful. Too bad she didn't have anyone to go on rides with her. After all, it really wasn't much fun to go it alone.

She pulled her Toyota into the parking lot, as she had finally arrived. Music and children's laughter as well as screams hit her ears as she got out of the car.

She made her way toward the entrance, reaching into her purse for her wallet. She yanked some bills out and explained who she was to the woman selling admission tickets. The way this normally worked was that she would get a discount into a place once they realized she was on assignment with the paper. It didn't _always_ work, but she always made that attempt. And fortunately, this time she was allowed in at half price.

Smiling her appreciation to the woman, the redhead strolled in for the carnival. She fiddled with her digital camera, making sure her batteries had plenty of juice, and approached a kiddie ride.

Amy laughed as she snapped some pictures of the young man running the ride. She noticed a woman in a floral print sundress not too far away from her and struck up a small conversation. Although she herself wasn't a parent, she wanted to make sure it was okay with a mother before taking pictures of her kids to publish in the newspaper. The woman was friendly and had no problem with it.

Shortly thereafter, she moved on. The roller coaster looked like loads of fun, and she wanted to try it out herself, but later. She decided to head on over to the animal area. She wasn't going to snap any pictures out of respect for the furry and feathered cuties, but she loved animals and had to see them.

Amy slipped a quarter into the millet machine to retrieve a handful of the food. Afterward, she stepped inside the tent, a smile instantly coming to her face as she spotted all the winged and four-legged creatures.

She knelt by a pen to feed a baby lamb. It just about stole her heart as it bleated and slowly, tentatively approached.

"Come on, sweetie," she called. She made a soft kissing noise and held out her hand. The lamb gobbled up every morsel she held within. She pet its soft shearling and decided to get more food for other animals as well.

Amy turned around to buy more millet, her hand coming up to cup the grain. As she turned fully around to return to the animal tent, she collided into a very solid body and let out an exclamation of surprise, dropping the food. She looked up, shocked at the person's identity. She opened her mouth, intending on saying hello but was cut off at the path.

"What in hell is the meaning of this?!" He shoved a crumpled piece of newspaper in her face.

Amy was so stunned, she seemed to have momentarily lost her voice. She shook her head as she stared up at him, her mouth still open. Her gaze went to the paper and trailed back to his angry face. How had he found her here, anyway?

She still had not spoken, and people around them were beginning to stare. This was getting ridiculous - he was yelling at her, waving that stupid piece of newspaper at her and not letting her get a word in edgewise. She was starting to get annoyed.

"Enough!" she shouted, waving her arms as she glared up at him. "Just calm down and stop putting this thing in my face!" In a flash, upon those words, she tore the page of newspaper out of his grip. He looked even more angry as she held it in her hands. "That was the first shot I took from the day of the rockslide... Are you happy?"

Adam laughed sardonically as he shook his head and pointed to himself with both hands.

"No, I'm _not_ happy!" he cried. "Or are you that clueless to people's emotions?"

The redhead pressed her lips together so that they became a thin line. She'd had just about enough of this.

"I'm leaving," she declared, and she started walking away. She made sure to drop the newspaper page into the first trash can she passed.

The tall blond man quickened his step, hurrying after her.

"You had no right to take my picture!" he insisted. "And definitely no right to print it in your ratty little paper!" He reached out and touched her on the shoulder.

Amy turned around, recoiling somewhat at his touch. She glared directly up into his green eyes, wondering exactly what horrible sin she'd committed that caused him to eye her with such contempt.

"Why is it so terrible that one crappy little picture of you made it into the local paper? And you can't even tell it's _you_ unless you look extra closely."

"Oh, give me a break, lady," he snapped, his eyes narrowing as he fixed them on her. While he knew what she'd just said was true, he was still annoyed.

She rolled her eyes, then turned around and strolled out of the carnival. What a _wonderful_ trip this had turned out to be.

The tall blond man followed her out. He kept pace easily behind her with his long legs and kept shouting at her until she couldn't take anymore.

"Look," she said as she reached her car, "what is it you want from me? I don't get it... You seemed so nice the day we met. You save my life _twice_. Then, you tell me to stay away from you. Well, I've been doing that!" she said, her voice raising. "And now, I'm just trying to do my job, and here you are, accosting me! What the hell did I ever do to you?" She stared at him with somewhat pained hazel eyes.

Copeland's anger began to abate at that look in her eyes. He probably _was_ making a bit much out of this. Even he himself hadn't realized his picture had made it into the paper. Shawn had had to tell him it was him.

"Nothing," he admitted, finally answering her question. "You did nothing to me."

The redhead shook her head and posed her next question.

"Then why do you treat me like some sort of fatal disease?"

The blond man nearly flinched at her words. She really did sound hurt, and that was the last thing he wanted. He swallowed and looked down at the ground, then back up at her as he spoke again.

"I'm... I'm sorry," he said. "I really am." When she stayed silent, he closed the few feet of distance between them and neared her. "I've got so much drama going on in my life, and I guess I just took my frustrations out on you."

She merely eyed him in silence. She gazed up into his incredibly green eyes and knew he was being sincere in his apology.

"Would you mind if we... start over?" he asked. "Do you think you could forget about how much of a jerk I was today?"

Amy blinked and kept her gaze on him, and soon, she felt a small smile touching her lips. She could actually feel his warmth. He meant everything he was saying and genuinely felt bad for the way he'd been avoiding and treating her.

"Done."


	15. Chapter 14

Amy was finally feeling at ease with the mysterious blond man. They had decided to call a truce, and he'd asked her if she was hungry. Then, they'd gone to get some dinner, and Adam had asked her if she would mind taking out instead of sitting in the restaurant.

Now, they were sitting outside in the dusk, at the picnic table outside the man's modest house.

"So... you live alone here?" she asked. He hadn't even invited her inside yet, and she sensed the only invitation she was going to get, at least tonight, was if she announced that she had to go to the bathroom. Needless to say, Adam Copeland was an extremely private individual.

"Yup," he said between bites of cheeseburger and fries. He took a sip of cola before speaking again. "It's a little quiet with the next nearest neighbor a half-mile away, but you get used to it fast."

"Oh." The redhead wasn't sure she personally would. She was a big city girl, always had been. This place was like the boondocks to her.

As she ate some more of her food, she became silently thoughtful. She remembered what Melina had told her and wondered if he would somehow mention it. Her guess was a resounding "no." But why would such a topic suddenly come up unless she asked him about his family? She decided she wasn't going to do that - at least not yet. They were having a fairly decent time, and she didn't want to do or say anything that would spoil that. Instead, she decided to focus on a completely different subject.

"So... Now that we're on friendly terms again, can I ask you something?" She hoped he wouldn't get angry this time.

The tall blond man leaned back, eyeing her intensely. He could sense what she was about to ask him.

"What's that?" he questioned. He continued eating his burger but kept his gaze on her with anticipation.

"How did you know what was going to happen those times?" she asked, her eyes meeting his squarely. Her heart was pounding like a kettle drum. "I mean, it was like you _knew_ disaster was about to strike."

He nodded.

"I did." He sighed and put his food aside. "I... get visions," he admitted. It was a little bit awkward to confess it. Only two other people in his life had ever known about the visions, one of course being Shawn Michaels. The other had been his mother. He'd always had his suspicions that Mike knew about them as well, but he'd never known for sure whether that was true.

"Visions?" Amy echoed, her gaze staying on his face.

"Yeah," he said, crossing his arms and leaning back, his long legs sprawled before him under the table. "They're kind of like migraines when they hit, only I see stuff... Usually really _bad_ stuff." He met her hazel gaze, sincerely hoping she didn't think he was crazy.

"So, that's how you knew about my car," she said thoughtfully. "And the rockslide. You actually _did_ see it before it happened. Wow," she breathed. To her, being psychic was almost sort of supernatural. It fascinated her.

They merely stared at each other in silence for a beat, absorbed in their own individual thoughts.

"How long have you been psychic?" the redhead finally asked.

Adam shook his head, waving his hand at her choice of words.

"I'm not psychic," he insisted. "Well, not in the traditional sense. I only get visions when disaster is going to strike."

She cocked her head as a memory came rushing back to her.

"But on the day we met, you knew it was my birthday."

The blond man's face filled with recognition. He slapped his denim-clad thigh lightly as he replied.

"Oh, that's right!" He fixed his green eyes on her as they grew merry. "Well, I guess you're a walking disaster." He winked.

Amy laughed, and it was definitely the best and most comfortable she'd felt in his presence since they'd met. Adam was truly a good guy, and she was glad she was getting the opportunity to know him.


	16. Chapter 15

He found himself wandering alone in the dark, his footsteps uncertain and unsteady. He reached out with both hands as though blind, his mouth running ash-dry as he walked.

It was as though he were in a dark tunnel. And damn if he didn't feel scared. Here he was, a fully grown man, six-foot-five and two-hundred and forty pounds, and he was full of naked fear.

"Hello?" he called, hating the inflection of his voice. The single word seemed to echo hollowly in the air. Something or someone was there with him, stalking him. He knew it... He couldn't hear footfalls or see anything, not even moving shadows, but somehow, he knew it.

Then, after the moment of deathlike silence came the laughter. It was soft in volume and held absolutely no traces of humor, which chilled him to the core. He whirled around in a hurry, arms up, hands balled into fists as he prepared to defend himself if he needed to. Still, he couldn't make out even the faintest outline of the person... A man. That laugh could never be mistaken as belonging to a woman.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "What do you want from me?" Damn it, he hated the way he sounded - _and_ felt. It was as though he were a kid again and not a thirty-three year-old man. What the hell was wrong with him?

The laughter came again, this time louder and seemingly closer to him. Despite himself, he swung out blindly with both fists, a snarl escaping him in his efforts. But it was futile.

"You're a very bad boy, Adam!" the voice suddenly boomed.

He froze, his eyes widening with fear, his breathing quickening along with his heart rate. He knew that voice, knew it with every fiber of his being even though it had been almost twenty-five years since he'd last heard it.

"And you know what happens to boys when they're bad."

"Get away from me!" he shouted. His eyes widened seconds later as a flash of light struck, and he caught a glimpse of the loathed, cruel face, laughing at him mere inches away. He gasped and turned around to run, but his feet seemed as though they were mired in mud and failed him.

"Ahh, shit!" He was once again enveloped in complete, utter darkness as he tried desperately to run. He felt a scream building up inside as he felt an unbelievably cold grip suddenly on the back of his neck...

"You're going to join your rotting mother!" the voice boomed.

He swallowed hard, a lump in his throat. He felt sick and knew he was going to lose the battle with the vomit he felt coming.

--

Adam suddenly bolted awake in his bed, his eyes wild, breathing fast and heavy as he furtively scanned the area. He put up both hands simultaneously, clenching them into fists and prepared to fight.

He realized he was blessedly alone, and still in his bed. There was no one here with him. Mike wasn't there. It had all been a horrible dream. Yet, it had felt so, terribly real.

His breathing began to return to normal, and he ran a hand over his stubble-covered face and then through his hair. He really had to get a grip on himself. It was bad enough that he got the visions, but a nightmare was a whole different story. Now that he was awake, he couldn't help feeling foolish.

He'd felt such stark terror in the dream, and it had accompanied him as he'd awakened. That really bothered him. He had nothing to fear. Why should he still be afraid of that horrible man? Yes, Mike had brutally murdered his mother when he was a kid... But he was a grown man now, and out of his life over these past twenty-five years. Mike held no power over him. He hadn't back then and he didn't now, either. On top of that, he didn't even know if the man was still alive.

The blond man sighed and checked the time on the digital clock on the bureau across the room. He threw the blanket aside and swung his legs over the bed to the floor to get up. The way he knew himself, he would never get back to sleep after that dream. He figured he might as well go shower, get dressed and go out. Maybe he'd run into Shawn or Amy at the diner.

Thoughts of the beautiful, shapely redhead calmed him a considerable degree. They'd spent a few hours together the previous day and into part of the night, and he had gotten to know more about her. He'd grown more comfortable around her than he had with mostly anyone in the longest time, especially of the female persuasion. Even when he'd dated Melina Perez, whom he'd liked a lot and still did as a friend, he hadn't warmed up enough. He'd planned on simply spending some time with Amy outside and not _in_ his home. It had everything to do with his secretive nature. But he'd let her in very briefly before she'd gone home. He'd allowed her to use the bathroom and given her a very quick, cursory tour of the house from the living room.

He hoped she didn't think of him as odd. Well, she knew all about the visions and had actually seemed cool about them... But he could never be absolutely sure of what was really going through a person's mind. For some reason, he found it extremely important what Amy Dumas thought of him.


	17. Chapter 16

Adam entered the diner still shaken. During his shower earlier that morning, he'd tried to make heads or tails of the dream he'd had... But all he could come up with were those couple of devastating years of his childhood.

He wondered, though... Why had he appeared as an adult in the dream?

"Hey! Well, look who's here," Shawn sang happily, waving his friend over to the counter.

The waitress named Mickie greeted Adam with a small hello and a smile as he passed her. He was glad to see Shawn there, but he didn't see Amy at all.

"Sit right here," the mechanic said, gesturing to the stool at his left. The right was already taken, and he recognized its occupant as Michaels' employee, whom he'd seen once or twice. "I saved you this seat," Shawn told him, then turned to the young man at his right. "Adam, you've met Johnny, right?"

"No, but I've seen him before."

"Well, he's my helper at the garage, so that'd be why. Guys, meet each other." The man followed that with a laugh as Adam and Nitro shook hands.

"Ah, Adam! Hey," Melina said brightly as she emerged from the double swinging doors of the kitchen. She wiped her hands on her apron as she approached. "These two have already ordered... What would you like?"

"Just a scrambled egg and some coffee would be fine," he told her.

The pretty Latina smiled.

"You got it."

"By the way," the blond man said, running a hand over his still sleepy face, "have any of you seen Amy today?"

"Can't say that I have," Shawn answered.

"Nope, sorry," Johnny said, and Adam was confused for a beat as to how the young man would even know who Amy was. As Melina came over to him by the counter and held his hand, however, he realized that they were a couple - and the waitress must have introduced them.

"She hasn't been here all morning," the brunette said. "But she comes in nearly every day, so maybe you'll get lucky."

The tall blond man sat and couldn't help feeling affected by the young woman's last words. The double meaning, which he knew she hadn't meant, hit home and reminded him that he hadn't really 'gotten lucky' for awhile now. He put that out of his mind in a hurry, though, and decided to see the redhead if she didn't show up within the hour.

--

More than an hour later, Amy had never turned up at the diner. He remembered the newspaper she worked for, so he wanted to get home and do an internet search for its address. By late morning, he planned on taking a trip over there to take her out for lunch.

She was the first woman he had felt really comfortable around. He and Melina had had a good repore, but not to the same extent. In fact, it was nowhere near the same extent. Before he had asked her out, they had only made very small talk at the diner, never anything really deep or meaningful. It was probably the closest he'd been to a woman since college.

About an after he'd eaten breakfast, he tossed some bills on the counter and rose.

"Thanks, Melina."

"Sure thing, sugar," the Latina waitress called, giving him a smile from over her shoulder as she headed into the kitchen.

"Well," Adam said as he faced Shawn and then Johnny in turn, "I've got work to do, guys. Maybe I'll stop by the shop later." He gave Michaels a friendly slap on the shoulder before shaking the younger man's hand again.

"Anytime, Ad."

With that, the tall blond man left. He headed back home, his mind still focused on the lovely redhead he had yet to see that day.

Once home, Adam turned on his computer and opened an Internet Explorer page. Accessing _Google_, he did a quick search for the address of the paper. His eyes quickly scanned the results provided and he saw that the second had precisely the information he needed. Opting not to write it down, he knew he would memorize the address by heart. Inwardly, he recited it repeatedly until he was able to do so away from his computer. Ten minutes later, he tested himself and spoke the address aloud. He walked back to the machine to check, his eyes glancing at the entry on _Google_ - and sure enough, he'd memorized it correctly.

The tall blond man stepped away again, this time to enter the bathroom so as to face the mirror over the sink. Staring at his reflection, he spoke, practicing just how he would ask her to lunch.

"Amy, I just so happened to be in the neighborhood... I was wondering if I could take you to lunch?"

He tried a few more different lines, but all of those seemed so contrived to his own ears. Taking a deep breath, he decided to go with the first.


	18. Chapter 17

**_A/N: Well, I'm not sure anyone is even still reading this story... I HOPE so, since I personally think it's highly original and quite good. Some more reviews would be nice... ;)_**

Amy smiled warmly at the man seated across from her. It had been a most unexpected surprise when he had shown up at her place of work, offering to take her out to lunch.

They had gone to a Japanese restaurant close to the mountains. The place was little known to people in town but highly successful. She was quite pleased to dine there, as Japanese was her absolute favorite. Knowing that Copeland was psychic, at least to an extent, she sensed he'd known that all along.

"So," he said, templing his hands under his chisled chin, "tell me more about yourself... Things you left out the other day."

The redhead looked up from her cup of green tea, swallowing.

"Well, what more can I say? I'm originally from Fort Lauderdale. Parents are divorced, and I've got a younger brother I haven't seen in about seven years."

"Are you serious?" the blond man questioned.

Amy nodded.

"Yeah. I haven't seen Billy in that long." She shook her head. "We've never gotten along, not even when we were kids," she explained.

Adam felt a bit of pain upon hearing that. He was an only child himself, but he knew it had to hurt to be estranged from a sibling.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said, reaching over to touch her hand.

The redhead raised her gaze, then lowered it to take in the sight of his hand on hers. She couldn't deny the jolt of electricity she felt at him touching her. It was unmistakable. She could only wonder if he felt it, too.

"Yeah, well," she finally said, and now she felt a bit awkward, though it was because of the conversation, not the physical contact. "What are you going to do?" She shrugged, dismissing the subject of her brother.

The blond man stared at her in silence for a beat. It was clear she didn't want to talk about this anymore. He decided to hastily change the subject.

"How did you get into your career?"

Her face brightened considerably, along with her mood.

"Well, I minored in photography in college, and I always loved writing," she answered. "Somehow, I was lucky enough to get a job in Journalism." She shrugged, adding, "See, I majored in Business Administration and only took a couple of Journalism courses for fun."

He nodded with surprise.

"Interesting," he said.

"I used to work for a dinky, little known magazine, but this job just sorta fell into my lap," she continued. She smiled easily. "I really love it... Especially when I get to go on assignment." She turned to her sushi set before her and picked up a piece of tuna, putting it into her mouth and savoring it.

And that was when it happened.

The vision suddenly struck Adam, and he pulled back almost violently. His hands flew up to his temples as he tried with all his might to stay in his chair and not fall over. Somehow, he succeeded, and somehow, he managed not to knock anything off the table as well.

Amy remained calm, although he had actually frightened her initially - but she knew what was happening. Dropping her chopsticks, she reached out and held fast to him as it continued, acting in the same manner she would if he were having an epileptic seizure.

In minutes, it was blessedly over. The blond man's eyes snapped wide open, and he seemed momentarily disoriented. His breathing was fast and somewhat ragged as he fixed his gaze on her. He shook his head, trying to cling to the last remnants of the vision.

People dining nearby were staring at them. He ignored them, knowing full well they had no clue what had just occurred. They probably all thought he was sick and had some kind of disorder or condition that caused seizures. It didn't matter, and he'd never been one to offer explanations unless a person questioned him directly.

He could still feel it... He actually felt the burning heat, just make out the traces of the flames in his mind's eye.

Amy peered up at him, her lovely face filled with vast concern. He suddenly realized she was beside him, holding onto his arm. She must have come over to calm him in the throes of the vision.

"Are you all right?" she asked in a loud whisper.

He started to shake his head, his tongue licking his lips in nervousness. Something sinister was going to happen, and this time, he hadn't forseen himself able to stop it.

"You can't go back to work after lunch."

She stared at him with confusion in her hazel eyes.

"What?"

He stared at her with such anguish in his green orbs. He could barely speak as he grabbed hold of her shoulder, facing her directly to explain.

"You just _can't_..." His face was mere inches from hers. He felt sick as he went on. "... Amy, just trust me on this. Something... horrible is gonna happen."

The redhead absorbed everything he was saying, her heart nearly skipping a beat at his tone and the fear in his eyes. She knew him well enough now that she knew he wasn't bullshitting her. And she knew that, for the third time, her life was in danger - or at least it _would_ be if she returned to the office.

"What did you see? Tell me!" she demanded.

The blond man's handsome face still looked haunted as he stared at her. He knew she had a right to know what he'd seen, as it directly involved _her_ - but he hated having to let her know what horror he'd seen befalling her. Swallowing hard, he spoke.

"A fire... A _huge_ fire. Your office building," he croaked out. "Everyone dead except for one man... a very tall red-haired man?" He lowered his gaze for a beat, then, "He suffers severe burns but escapes."

Amy gaped at him with horror.


	19. Chapter 18

**_A/N: Thanks to xTOXICx for reviewing the last chapter! ;)_**

"But I _have_ to warn them!"

Amy's face looked almost manic as she shouted. She couldn't believe what he'd just told her. Everyone at the newspaper office _dead_? Her mind made up, she bolted up and ran for the door to exit the restaurant.

Adam felt his heart leap into his throat. Yanking out some bills he didn't even look at first, he tossed the money on the table and ran after her.

"Amy!" he shouted. "You can't do this!"

She looked back at him for a nanosecond, then kept running up the street.

"I _have_ to!"

He didn't let her go too far, as he effortlessly caught up to her thanks to his long legs. He tackled her to the ground, groaning at his actions. He knew she would be angry for doing that, but he had no choice.

"Amy, you don't have to be a hero!"

She glared up at him from her position on the ground.

"Oh, but you _do_?" she countered. She swatted him to get his much greater weight off of her.

"That's different," he said calmly. "With my visions, if I did nothing to help people I would be no better than a murderer." He stood up and held out a hand, helping her up when she accepted it.

"These people are my _friends_, my coworkers," she said, a sad expression on her face. There was desperation present in her hazel eyes. "How can I, now knowing what's going to happen, _live_ with myself if I do nothing?"

Adam stared at her for a moment. Then, "Call someone. Warn them."

She nodded, hastily reaching for her cell phone. But why would anyone believe her if she told them there was going to be a fire? They would think she was crazy, especially if she revealed that everyone but one person was going to get killed.

In the long run, it really didn't matter. It was a chance she had to take.

She pressed buttons on her cell phone, getting to her supervisor's number. His was, stupidly enough, the only one she had in her phone's memory, and she'd never gotten friendly enough with anyone else to have memorized their extensions.

"Come on, come on!" she muttered, her gaze on the blond man before her as she listened to the ringing on the other end. She had gone to lunch a tad earlier than she usually did, but had Mark done the same?

"_Hi, you have reached the desk of Mark Calloway..._"

She cursed under her breath as the voicemail picked up. What if it was already too late? Should she even bother leaving a message? Of _course_ she should - it was better than nothing... and even if the worst did end up happening, at least she tried.

"Mark, it's Amy," she let out in a breathless tone. "Look, I'm calling to warn you - there's going to be a fire. Get everyone out ASAP!" She knew she sounded like a lunatic, and she hung up. What would happen? Would Mark even get the message? Dear God... Her heart was pounding so impossibly fast, she thought she might be having a heart attack.

"Are you okay?" Adam knew the question was a pretty stupid one as he placed his hands on the redhead's shoulders, peering down into her ashen face. She was beginning to hyperventilate, and he sensed she was in the middle of or about to have a panic attack.

She shook her head. They were standing beside his Lexus in the small parking lot of the restaurant.

"I need... I need to get to my office - quick."

The tall blond man shook his head forcefully. That was the last place she needed to be, as he sensed it was already too late, that the fire had started.

"Please!" she shouted, begging. "I don't have to go inside, just... _please_."

He stared at her, considering it for a beat. Then, he nodded and unlocked the passenger's side door for her before going around to the driver's side. Amy got in first, and he followed suit, starting the ignition in a hurry. He pulled out of the lot, driving a little faster than the allotted speed limit.

The distraught redhead brought her hands to her head. She was a nervous wreck as she chanted in a mantra.

"Oh, my God... Oh, my God..." _How_ could this be happening? Maybe it wasn't... It was possible for the man to be wrong once in awhile - wasn't it? After all, he _was_ human. But she reminded herself that, so far, in the relatively short time she'd known him, he had always been dead-on.

The redhead saw the smoke curling up into the sky when they were still a few miles away.

"No," she murmured, almost to herself. She didn't want to believe it. But as they neared, she saw that it was indeed true.

The building where she worked was engulfed by flames. And she didn't see a soul around. Everyone was trapped inside. In the distance, the sirens of fire engines roared.

Amy began to cry.


	20. Chapter 19

Adam sighed softly as he cast a quick glance to the silent woman at his right. She hadn't said a word in what seemed an eternity, and had barely moved a muscle, either. He couldn't even see her face, as she had her head turned toward the passenger's side window, staring out.

"Hey," he said in a gentle tone. He reached over to touch her arm, and she seemed to stiffen just a bit.

Amy shifted in the seat, turning so that her profile was suddenly visible to the tall blond man.

"It's not your fault, you know."

She looked directly at him at the sudden feel of his large, warm hand stroking up and down her forearm. She knew he was right, but she sure felt as though she were responsible. She bowed her head, her gaze on his hand softly touching her arm. After a long moment, she spoke.

"I know." Amy sighed and gazed out the windshield at the road ahead. "But all those poor people!" she exclaimed. "It just... it's not fair." Lowering her head again, she bit her lip. Then, "And I'm basically unemployed now. I had even just gotten a raise, and... I feel like crap thinking of that... considering what happened."

The blond man kept his eyes on the road as he continued to drive. However, his hand stayed put on her arm.

"It's only natural for you to feel that way," he said. "What happened to your co-workers is horrible, but you still have to have a way to support yourself." He shifted his green eyes her way for a beat, gazing at her with sympathy.

The redhead sighed and didn't respond to that.

They continued on the drive in silence, with nothing but their own individual thoughts and fears between them. Adam regretted having brought her to her office building. It was a very traumatic experience he knew would not be leaving the woman anytime soon. On the other hand, she'd insisted. And knowing Amy Dumas the way he did, he would have bet his bottom dollar that she would have gone back there on her own had he not taken her there.

"I suppose Mr. McMahon will rebuild in no time."

The blond man turned his head toward her again.

"Mr. McMahon?" he questioned.

Amy met his eyes.

"He's the owner of the newspaper," she explained. "A self-made millionaire. So, maybe my unemployment will only be a temporary thing."

He offered her a smile, though it was half-hearted, given the dire nature of the situation.

"Of course it will."

She nodded but didn't really have a reply in mind. She _hoped_ he was right. But inside, she wasn't too sure, and that was despite her own statement minutes prior. She sulked and stared out the window as they kept driving.

Adam reached over by the radio and pushed the button to turn it on. Music began to play in the Lexus. He thought it might be a good distraction for the redhead, though it was probably impossible for her to focus on anything else at the moment.

He didn't even know where he was taking them. He seemed to be driving aimlessly, trying to take the unhappy woman as far away from the tragedy as possible. They had been driving awhile now, and he wanted to get out and stretch his legs.

He let out a heavy sigh as he realized where they suddenly were. He'd never meant to travel out here, but he guessed that his subconscious had taken over. He parked the car on the nearly deserted curb and unfastened his seatbelt.

"Come on."

Amy raised her head and gave him a strange look upon the realization of where they were. Glancing around, she parted her lips in confusion. She followed his actions and undid her seatbelt and stepped out of the Lexus.

"What are we doing here?"

He cast her a look before quickly heading onward.

"Just visiting," he murmured.

The redhead stared after the man but hurried her steps to catch up to him. She felt somewhat chilled to be there, as she had had a phobia of cemeteries as a kid. She hated to admit that it had never really left her, even though she wasn't terrified to the point of turning and running away.

"Wait up!" She ran after him, the child with the phobia creeping back into her. She caught up to him and grabbed hold of his hand as she glanced around at all the headstones and graves.

Adam became acutely aware of the fact that she had grabbed his hand. Her small fingers felt nice and soft as they curled around his own. Holding hands with her was anything but unpleasant.

They walked down one row of graves, with Amy feeling still slightly ill at ease. She'd never been out here before, but then, she hadn't ever had a reason, either. She shuddered a bit, and then, the blond man suddenly stopped walking.

She gazed up into his face, which had grown unbelievably sad. She hated cemeteries, hated headstones and graves and all that stuff. In fact, she'd decided years earlier that when she died, she wanted to be cremated. As much as she didn't want to, she turned away from him to eye the marble stone marking the grave they were standing before.

_Judy Anne Copeland_... Her breath caught as she read the entire inscription. She knew who'd been esconced in the ground here, just knew it.

Adam kept his gaze on the tombstone, his green eyes glistening with unshed tears. Without looking at Amy, he said, "This grave... it belongs to my mother."

She glanced from the gray marble stone back to him. She swallowed hard as she noticed a single tear running down his cheek.

"I-I know," she softly said.

The tall blond man sniffled as he openly cried, and her heart completely went out to him. Knowing from Melina that Adam's mother had died when he was very young, she had a feeling he always reverted back to that frightened little boy whenever he came here.

She winced and turned to face him, pulling him in for a hug. Instantly, he responded, his arms wrapping around her, enveloping her tightly, and they stayed like that for a long while.


	21. Chapter 20

Adam and Amy drove back into town in relative silence. The redhead was naturally full of questions, but she wasn't sure it was the right moment to voice them. She decided to keep them under wraps for the time being as the blond man collected himself.

"It's really hard for you, isn't it?"

"Huh?" he asked, quickly glancing her way. He assumed she meant the fact that he was without a mother.

"The visions," Amy clarified. "I mean, they must be physically taxing... but beyond that, you have to deal emotionally with all the horrible things you see."

"Oh." The man was silent for a beat as he expertly steered the car. "Yeah, it is hard," he agreed. "It's like having the weight of the world on my shoulders. And in a way, it sort of _is_."

Her heart went out to him. It truly did. She reached a hand over and laid it on his shoulder for comfort.

Adam glanced over at the woman at the touch. It was the sweetest anyone had been toward him in awhile. He felt a surge of emotion swelling up.

"I'm glad you're here," he said softly, almost even sheepishly. "I really appreciate your kindness."

Amy smiled. But he didn't have to thank her. She found it somewhat odd that he felt the need to, especially considering their track record thus far. He had saved her life - not once, not twice, but _three_ times now.

The rest of the drive was silent but comfortable. Adam was definitely at a point where he knew he could call the redhead a friend. He felt enough at ease with her that he decided to have her at his house again - but this time, he would actually invite her _inside_.

She instantly recognized the block as they drove up his street. It was quiet and pleasant, a decently modest neighborhood with small- to medium-sized houses adorning the block.

"Spaghetti okay with you for dinner?" he questioned. He parked the Lexus in his driveway.

Amy was somewhat taken aback. She honestly hadn't expected to be coming here, to his house.

"Um... Sure," she answered. She followed him out of the car and slammed the door. She couldn't help wondering if they would be eating on the patio again or if he would actually allow her into the house. She got her answer seconds later as he led her to the side door.

She followed him up three small steps and inside. Glancing all around, she wasn't quite sure what to expect.

"Make yourself comfortable," the blond man said as he directed her to the living room. "I'll start dinner."

While she headed for the couch, he disappeared into the kitchen.

_So much for getting the grand tour_, she told herself. She sat down and glanced around the room. He had a few paintings on the wall, done by what she supposed were local, little-known artists. There were bookshelves full of various books of different topics, some fiction, some nonfiction, self-help books... even _Dating for Dummies_. That one cracked her up a bit, but it seemed strange that a man as interesting and handsome as Adam Copeland would ever find the need to get that.

The redhead's attention was drawn to a large maple chest across the room. She squinted, noticing what appeared to be newspaper clippings in frames inside the glass display. Frowning, she rose to get a better look.

As soon as she did that, Amy found herself regretting it. She'd seen them, all right. The clippings were about his dead mother. Well, some of them were. The others were about the strange, elusive hero who had rescued countless people from various would-be disasters and death. The ones regarding Judy Copeland depressed her deeply, and she had a sinking suspicion that the man was obsessed.

She was standing and browsing for so long, she nearly jumped when she heard his voice again.

"Dinner's ready."

In a haste, Amy moved away from the chest. She nodded, feeling a little like a kid who'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Okay. I just want to wash my hands first."

"Sure," he said. "Bathroom is down the hall, third door to your left."

"Thanks." She offered him a nervous smile.

About a half-hour later, they were done with their dinner. Adam was apparently full of surprises as he actually gave her a tour of the house.

Amy didn't exactly know what to make of it when he went into a safe he had in his bedroom. The blond man fished around inside and came out with a nicely-sized wad of cash. The redhead's eyes widened as he handed it to her.

"Here. I want you to take this."

She glanced from the money, which, to her, seemed to be at least a few thousand dollars, then back into his eyes. Shaking her head, she held up her hands in protest.

"What? No," she said, a nervous smile again touching her features, "no, I can't."

"Of course you can," Adam said. "You're now out of a job, and I want to help you, Amy. I insist."

"Really... It's sweet of you, but I _do_ have my own money."

He studied her with intense scrutiny. She really was quite breathtakingly beautiful.

"Are you sure?"

The redhead nodded.

"I am. Besides, I'll get unemployment insurance," she pointed out. "But thank you for such an amazingly generous offer." She gazed at him with wonder, and it was on the tip of her tongue to ask where he got so much money - as it seemed he didn't even work - but she held her tongue.

Adam gazed into her hazel orbs and gave a tiny, short nod. This woman had become such a huge part of his life in so short a time... And damn if he wasn't falling in love with her.

As their intense eye contact continued, he leaned his head down to hers. She craned her neck at the same time, lips slightly parted, her gaze softening. And then, their lips met, and it was just about the most passionate kiss he'd ever experienced.


	22. Chapter 21

Amy opened her eyes as she stirred awake. It was still dark, and she was momentarily disoriented as she realized she was not alone.

Adam... She recalled what had occurred. The vision, the fire... They had gone out to lunch when it had struck him, and the fire had burned the building where she worked. They'd spent the rest of the day together, into the evening and had come back here. The blond man had made her dinner. Later on, something more had happened between them.

_His lips positively set her on fire with his searing kisses, his hands equally demanding. Their clothing seemingly melted off, and he began his lovemaking with just his eyes as he lowered her onto the bed. She stared up at him with passion, realizing just how she felt about this man. She wasn't merely attracted to him... She was falling in love with him._

He lowered his head to hers, and his lips were incredibly hot as they claimed her mouth. That was nothing compared to the heat radiating off another part of his body, and before too long, she felt him raise her legs, and he filled her completely with one big thrust.

It was incredible as he rocked in and out of her at a very deliberate pace. He was so good with his hands as well, easily finding her most erogenous zones. She kept her legs up against his shoulders as he arched her hips clear off the bed, penetrating her even more deeply, if such a thing were physically possible.

They both reached the brink simultaneously, and it was like heaven.

Amy laid there and wondered what was going to happen now. She didn't have a job any longer. However, she did have Adam, and she knew that after what had happened between them, she wasn't going to let him go. In the still fairly short time they'd known one another, he had become very important, and very dear to her.

The redhead felt him suddenly stir beside her - or, more aptly, behind her, and she relaxed again, snuggling her back against him. She couldn't suppress a smile as she felt his arms suddenly encircle her waist, drawing her nearer still. She couldn't recall a time she'd felt happier in recent years. She quickly fell back asleep, thoroughly content.

--

Running... He was running yet again.

His feet felt as though mired in mud, or like he was running in sand. And this time, he found himself in a cavernous dark tunnel.

The horrible, tormenting monster of a man was giving chase, nearly at his heels by then.

_"Adam, you ungrateful little snot-nosed punk! Don't you run away from me!"_

The voice echoed hollowly against the walls of the tunnel, bouncing back to his ears in a hurry. It was the most awful sound, probably the worst voice he could ever hear... It belonged to Mike.

His mother's boyfriend, or more accurately, _murderer_, was behind him. No matter how fast he ran, or _tried_ to, Adam could not seem to lose the man. And what did he want from him, anyway? He was an adult now, _not_ a little boy anymore. He was taller, bigger and certainly had to be stronger. What could Mike possibly want with him?

_Leave me alone! _he thought furiously. He tried to continue running, when suddenly one of his ankles turned over. He felt a blinding pain suddenly shooting up his leg and cried out.

Directly behind him, he heard a cackling laugh. It was loud, mocking and horrible to his ears. He desperately willed it away, wanted to drown out the horrid sound but couldn't. And he couldn't move, either, what with his injured ankle. But he had to _try_.

He made the mistake of turning around to take a look behind him. Mike's maniacally grinning face greeted him as the shiny blade of the axe suddenly came down, striking him...

--

"My God!" Amy was suddenly wide awake again as the man thrashed and yelled, giving her a good, hard shove. She wasn't sure whether he was awake or dreaming as he moved furtively away from her, leaving the bed altogether as he blindly swung out at nothing. She watched him in shock, calling him in a desperate attempt to calm him down.

"Adam... Adam!"

The blond man's breathing was far too fast... so much so that he feared hyperventilating, or even a premature heart attack. His eyes snapped open, and he glanced around quickly, surveying his surroundings.

Mike wasn't there. However, Amy _was_... He remembered. They were in his bedroom.

Relief flooding through him, the blond man sank back onto the bed. He buried his face in his hands, trying to gain control over his emotions. The dreams had to stop. He didn't know what he might do if they didn't. He stiffened momentarily as he felt the redhead's hand touching him.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. He felt horrible, and even a small bit embarrassed. He could have hurt her. That made him feel worse than anything else.

"It's okay," she replied in a soft, even voice. "It's okay." She couldn't help but wonder what apparent horrors he had seen in his sleep.


	23. Chapter 22

Adam felt like a caged animal.

He was alone and had been ever since Amy had left his house earlier that morning. The redhead had insisted on going to the local unemployment office in town. He had offered to drive her, but she'd declined, insisting it was something she needed to do herself.

He reflected on their night together. It had been incredible, and certainly the best thing to have happened to him in a long time. He hadn't said so yet, but he found himself falling deeply in love with Amy. But he still had his dark fears. He realized, with much chagrin, that they would probably never leave him throughout the rest of his lifetime.

Feeling as though the walls were caving in, the tall blond man left his house. He needed to go out and do something.

Getting into his Lexus, he started up the engine and hit the road. He decided to go to the diner, where he would hopefully run into Shawn.

He arrived there in time and parked the car across the street - oddly, in just about the same spot where Amy's Dodge Stratus had exploded. He pushed that thought out of his mind, instead focusing on the present as he stepped toward the restaurant.

He spotted Melina and her boyfriend John lingering off to the left, as the woman was apparently taking a break. The two were talking softly, and as he neared still, they kissed.

Deciding not to disturb them for the time being, Adam didn't say hello. Instead, he turned away as he pushed his way into the diner. And sure enough, Shawn was there, at his usual spot at the counter up front. The other brunette waitress, Mickie James, was currently taking his order and didn't seem about to move away. It appeared, however, that the two of them were flirting and generally enjoying themselves.

"I hate to interrupt," the tall blond man said as he came to sit on the stool just to his friend's left. "But good morning."

"Mornin', Adam," Shawn greeted with a smile.

Mickie said a quick hello as well before grabbing a menu and handing it to him. Adam perused it speedily as his friend gave him a once-over. He looked up to see Shawn surveying him.

"Err... What?"

"Well... I'm just surprised to see you in such a good mood," the older man said.

The blond man's eyes trailed off as a memory from the previous night came to him. The redhead moaning in ecstasy, writhing her beautiful, taut body beneath him as he rapidly pumped in and out of her. Of course he was in a good mood. Quickly, he snapped out of it and faced his friend again.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Shawn."

"Wow, so you _don't_ know," the mechanic said. He reached for the paper at his other side and handed it to Adam.

The blond man frowned as he caught sight of the picture on the front page, along with the headline - _Sole Survivor in Fire_. Naturally, it was a different paper than the one Amy had worked for. The cover's photo was that of the charred remains of the building in which the newspaper office had been. It was very eerie and sad, and it gave him a feeling of emptiness. He opened the paper to the page on which the article started and glimpsed at it.

"Yeah, I knew about this," he said, as he faced his friend, "but the headline is wrong. This guy isn't the 'sole survivor.'"

"Huh?" Shawn questioned as Mickie suddenly returned from the kitchen and placed a cup of coffee before him.

"Amy's a survivor, too," Adam explained.

"She survived? But how come-" Shawn didn't get a chance to finish asking his question as the blond man answered.

"I swung by her work yesterday to take her out to lunch." He shut up in a hurry as he realized Mickie was still standing there, waiting to take his order.

"I'll take the pancakes and a coffee." He handed her the menu. "Thanks a lot, Mickie." As soon as the little brunette was out of earshot, he continued in a whisper. "A vision came to me when we were at lunch. I begged her not to go back to her office."

"My God," the older man said, his eyes slightly wide. "So, you saved her life yet again."

Adam nodded, grateful that was indeed the case. He felt guilty for not having been able to save all the people at Amy's work, but he didn't know if he would have been able to live with himself had she perished along with all of them.

The door to the diner opened as Melina and Nitro came in. The two were still chatting when they headed over. Johnny took the stool at Shawn's right while Melina came back around the counter.

"Hello, Adam," she said.

"Hey, Melina... Johnny."

The dark-haired man waved from Shawn's other side.

"Here you are," Mickie sang as she returned with Shawn's breakfast plate. Smiling, she placed it down in front of him.

"Thank you, doll."

The brunette blushed but seemed to be glowing. Adam eyed the two in turn and thought he could see a definite something, a spark there.

"I saw your friend earlier," Melina told him. "Amy."

"She was here?"

The Latina nodded.

"Just for a couple of minutes. She got a bagel and tea to go... I know she's out of a job now." She shook her head, her face growing sad. "I read all about it in the paper this morning. It'll surely be all over the news today."

"Anyone have any idea of how that fire started?" Nitro asked.

"Beats me," Shawn answered with a shrug. "Probably just a horrible accident."

However, Adam wasn't convinced it was that cut and dry. He hadn't received any vision of it, but somehow, he sensed more sinister undertones to that fire. He wondered, really wondered about it. He knew Amy would want to visit the man who'd survived - and he would bet that man would be able to give some clues.

As of right at that moment, the blond man decided he was going to do a bit of investigating.


	24. Chapter 23

**_A/N: Thanks to caeubona for the last review! :) No worries, the pieces of the puzzle of the mystery of the fire WILL be explained. ;) Here's a new chapter, hope you enjoy!_**

Adam sat in his Lexus in front of the burnt site of what had once housed the newspaper office. He stared at the charred remains of the building as he tried to gain some sort of comprehension as to how the disaster had started.

For once, he was drawing a blank. It was strange... He could see horror and tragedy before it happened, but when it came down to trying to figure out an event that had occurred, he was all thumbs.

It reminded him of when he'd first met Amy. He'd declared to himself that he was going to find out what happened to her Dodge Stratus that had led up to the explosion. He'd confronted and accused Shawn of tampering with the engine - Shawn, his own _friend_ - but had never followed up on finding out the truth. And he was still convinced that it all had to do with foul play...

That feeling matched his thoughts of the fire as well.

The blond man snapped back to reality in the here and now and restarted the engine. He'd wanted all day to go and visit the survivor of the newspaper office at the hospital and ask a few questions. He just hoped the man was up for an unknown visitor.

He put the car in gear and started driving. Had he stayed another minute or more, he would have spotted the man lurking in the area.

*

Amy sighed tiredly as she shuffled through some papers. The routine at the unemployment office was quite long and tedious. However, unlike many other cities, this small town was still considered backwards in a few ways - and that included the ability to fill out all the necessary forms online.

At long last, she heard her name and bolted up to approach the woman who'd called her. The representative smiled and welcomed her over.

"How can I help you today?" she asked.

The redhead sat down on the chair beside the woman's desk. She noted by a nameplate on the oak furniture that the representative's name was Mary Jones.

"Well, Ms. Jones," she began, "there was a big fire at my place of business, and it was a total loss... Therefore, I'm out of a job."

"Oh, my... Are you referring to the newspaper office across town?"

Amy nodded, a feeling of bitterness and regret washing over her.

"None other," she replied.

"Were you out sick yesterday?" the woman asked. "Because I read that there was only one survivor, and you definitely don't look like him."

Amy wasn't exactly in the mood for sarcastic jokes. Seriously, she issued a response.

"No... I was out to lunch when it happened."

Ms. Jones looked her over in amazement.

"Well, you sure are one lucky lady!" she remarked.

The redhead nodded, sighing. She knew the representative was right. She was incredibly down and upset about the loss of her job, a steady income and especially the lives of her poor co-workers... But she was very, very lucky to be alive. And she had Adam to thank for that. He was, quite simply, her guardian angel.

"Yeah... I know." Amy could barely offer a weak smile. She remembered that Mark, her supervisor, and the only survivor of the deadly fire, was in the hospital. She would definitely go and visit him once she was through here.

"Such a shame, though," Ms. Jones said, shaking her head as she collected and prepared all of the pertinent paperwork for Amy's claim. "All those poor people."

Somehow, Amy managed to hold back the tears she felt. She hoped Mark was okay and would live. Hopefully, his burns weren't too severe and he hadn't suffered any smoke inhalation. She wondered exactly what had gone very wrong to the point of the fire even starting. She also wondered if Mr. McMahon had any plans to rebuild the newspaper. After all, it was highly successful, and the owner didn't strike her as the type who would just give up, even when tragedy struck.

Twenty minutes later, Ms. Jones handed the redhead some new papers she had helped her prepare.

"Here you go. You'll need these to collect your weekly unemployment benefits. Hopefully, you won't need that for too long."

Amy nodded, but her mind was a bit distracted.

"I used to get that paper every so often," the woman revealed. "I realized I remember some of your work. You're a very talented photographer."

"Thank you." Amy stood up as she was now ready to leave. "And thanks for all your help."


	25. Chapter 24

**_A/N: Thanks to xtwilighterx and Ainat for the last reviews. :)_**

Adam glanced around the hospital morosely, not quite sure where he was going. He was assaulted by the memory of his first time meeting Amy, as he had been admitted here following the explosion of her car. He'd smashed in the passenger's side window to get to her, torn up his hand.

He knew the guy's name. He'd looked it up in the newspaper in the article about the fire... Now, he had to inquire as to where to find him. He only hoped they were allowing visitors.

Spotting a nurse's station, the tall blond man approached. His gaze fixed on a nurse and he spoke to her.

"Excuse me... I'm looking for Mark Calloway? He was in that fire at the newspaper office."

"Yes, I know who he is... only survivor of the blaze." The woman made a clicking sound with her tongue. "He's in ICU... Are you a relative?"

Adam immediately knew he would never be allowed to see the man if he told the truth. He hated to lie, but what other choice did he have? He nodded.

"I'm his nephew," he replied.

"I'm so sorry," the nurse said. "You can go see him right away. ICU is on the fourth floor. You can't miss it - just follow the signs."

The blond man nodded. That had been too easy, but he was grateful.

"Thank you so much."

With that taken care of, he strode to the bank of elevators and immediately punched the 'Up' button. As he waited for the next car, he wondered what Amy was up to, whether her appointment at the unemployment office was over. Beyond that, he couldn't help but wonder how she would react had she known he was coming here to visit the man with whom she had worked. He guessed she would probably be upset that he hadn't brought her along.

A car came, and he got on. A few other people got in with him, and he hit the '4' button and patiently waited. He got off at the right floor and glanced up, seeking the signs the nurse had told him he'd see.

Sure enough, they were right in plain sight. He followed them and meandered his way to the ICU recovery area.

It was difficult not to miss Mark Calloway. Adam had never seen the man in the flesh before, but he'd seen his picture in the paper. In spite of his injuries, it was easy to tell who he was. Though he himself was tall, the injured man was even more so, and the fact that he was currently confined to a hospital bed didn't dwarf him in the least.

As he neared, he held his breath. The man's eyes were closed. Damn it, he was asleep... And he needed to talk to him, even though Calloway needed his rest after the hell he'd endured.

An electrocardiograph machine was bleeping, a line hooked up and in the man's arm. Adam was surprised there was no respirator and figured that the guy had to have been fortunate in that he had apparently suffered no smoke inhalation. He stood there, near the hospital bed and eyed the patient for a moment.

Calloway's eyes suddenly opened, and he stared up at the stranger.

"Who are you?" he rasped out.

The tall blond man stepped slightly closer, but he was concerned. He didn't want to get _too_ near the man out of worry of upsetting him or spreading any germs. With bad burns, his immune system surely had to be somewhat shocked, and he didn't want to worsen Calloway's condition.

"Mark Calloway?"

The man nodded as best he could. Clearly, he could see that the visitor wasn't a doctor; he wasn't dressed like one. But he guessed it was possible he could be an investigator.

"My name is Adam," the blond man said softly. "A woman you worked with is a close friend of mine... Amy Dumas?"

The big man's face showed recognition.

"A-Amy..."

Adam ran a hand through his hair, hoping he wasn't aggravating anything by being here. But he needed to do this.

"I have reason to believe that the fire was set intentionally," he continued, making sure to keep his tone soft. "And I believe it was meant to hurt Amy specifically. I'm sorry to have to burden you with this now, but... Well, did you see anything suspicious that day? Anything at all?"

Calloway opened his mouth to speak, but he appeared to be having some difficulty. He coughed, swallowed, and then tried again.

"Nothing too... out of the ordinary. But Mr. Mc...Mahon stopped by and-" The injured man had a slight fit of coughing again. "-acting strange."

"Mr. McMahon?"

"Owner of... newspaper," Mark explained.

Adam frowned, his gaze taking a somewhat faraway look as he thought about that. Then, "How was he acting strange?"

"Nervous," Calloway replied. "Just very... very nervous."


	26. Chapter 25

_**A/N: Thanks to Ainat and xtwilighterx for the reviews of the last chapter. :) Sorry it's taken sooooo long to update this! I hope you will still read, and enjoy! :D **_

Amy returned to Adam's place after her appointment. She wanted to be hopeful about obtaining new employment sometime within the next six months, but she was worried. Now that she had settled into this town, she didn't want to have to maybe move anytime soon... Now, she had Adam to contend with as well. Over these past few weeks, she had managed to fall in love with the man.

"Adam?" She knocked on the front door as she pushed it open. He had given her a spare set of keys, which was huge, considering how guarded a person he was.

There was no answer. She craned her neck and peered inside.

A survey of the living room told her nothing. Maybe he was in the bedroom, or the bathroom. Quickly, the redhead performed a speedy search of the modestly-sized abode. He wasn't at home.

Amy realized she hadn't seen the blond man's Lexus outside. Also, she had yet to check the kitchen, but she knew he wasn't there. He must have gone out.

A fast glimpse into the kitchen proved it... However, she then noticed a sheet of paper sitting atop the table. He'd left her a note. Hastily, she entered the small room and picked it up to read it.

According to the note, he had gone out and said he would be at the diner by the time she read it. Sighing, she set the paper down and left.

----------

"So, you're thinking the boss had something to do with it?"

Adam eyed Shawn as he posed the question in a discreet tone. Instead of sitting at the counter as they normally did, they were at a booth in a far corner of the establishment. Mickie had come over to take their orders, and Michaels had started to flirt with her, but the younger man had insisted they weren't ready yet. He'd had to talk to someone, and Shawn was his closest friend around. Melina wouldn't understand, and Amy... Well, he had the sinister feeling that the fire had been an arson - one meant specifically for _her_. How could he ever explain such a thing to her?

He nodded, sighing with sorrow.

"I do. Shawn, I know he did... It's just something I feel," he murmured. "And when I visited Calloway in the hospital... Well, that pretty much confirmed it for me."

"So, what are you gonna do?"

"I don't know," the tall blond replied. "Yet." He looked up and over his shoulder, in the direction of the entrance - just in time to see the beautiful redhead walk in.

"Hi," she said. She glanced at the mechanic and greeted him as well before slipping into the booth beside Adam. "What's going on?"

"Nothing much," the enigmatic man vaguely replied. He shot a look Shawn's way, as though telling him to keep quiet.

"So, I'm back," Mickie's perky voice suddenly rang out. "Are you ready to order now?"

"Yes, we are, pretty lady," Michaels replied with a wink. He glanced at Amy, allowing her to order first in spite of the fact that she'd only just arrived and hadn't even seen a menu.

"Um... I'll just have a coffee," she said.

Adam and Shawn exchanged glances, with the younger man gesturing for his friend to go first.

"I'll have chicken salad on toasted wheat bread."

"You got it, sweetie," Mickie said with a bright grin. "Anything to drink?"

"An iced tea, no sugar," the man replied. "Just stick your finger in, and that'll sweeten it right up." As Adam held back a groan at the cheesy line, Shawn winked at the pretty waitress, who giggled like a schoolgirl.

After the exchange, Mickie took Adam's order and bounced her way to the kitchen.

"Wow," Amy remarked, amused.

"Why don't you ask her out?"

Shawn turned his attention back on Adam.

"Dude, I don't think she's even thirty yet. At most, she's like twenty-six or -seven," he said in a discreet voice. "And I'm past forty."

The tall blond man shrugged.

"So what?" he asked. "You two are so obviously into each other."

Michaels gaped at his friend.

"Well, I find her extremely attractive, but you don't really think that's mutual?"

Adam smirked.

"Oh, come on, Shawn... You're not _that_ blind!"

The older man glanced at the redhead beside him.

"And what do _you_ think?"

"What do _I_ think?" Amy parroted. "I bet if you ask her out, she'll say yes."

Shawn looked surprised, and that caused both Amy and Adam to laugh.

"So, do you agree, Adam?"

"Duh!" the blond man snickered. It felt good, for once, to just let his hair down and have some fun with his friends - or at least at the expense of one of them.

"Well, damn then," the mechanic exclaimed. "If I'm outnumbered, I guess I'm gonna have to do it!"


	27. Chapter 26

**_A/N: Wow, so it's been quite a LONG time since I last updated this story! Thanks to Hailey Egan, edgehead7x, Tangled Web and BigRedMachineUK for the last reviews. I really appreciate it! :) Hopefully, you guys will still be reading now with this new chapter. It's a steamy one, literally! Enjoy! ;)_**

Amy moaned softly as she stirred, turning over onto her side. She reached out blindly with one arm, expecting to come into contact with his warm form. But he wasn't there.

She fluttered her eyes open slowly, the drowsiness from her slumber washing away. She was alone in the bed, Adam's side cool enough to tell her he hadn't been there for awhile.

"Adam?" She sat up with the blanket pressed against her bosom as she peered toward the open bedroom door. She realized she could vaguely hear the shower running in the nearby bathroom.

Releasing the blanket, Amy rose and padded out into the hallway to the lavatory. Without knocking, she opted to let herself into the small, steamy room, quietly shutting the door behind her.

From the looks of it, Adam didn't know he wasn't alone. That suited the redhead just fine, though. As quietly as she could manage, she inched toward the shower, then pushed the curtain back and stepped inside.

"Hey," the wet blond man said. "I didn't hear you." He was in the middle of rinsing his hair.

Amy smiled almost shyly as she stood closer so that the spray of hot water sluiced over her nude form. She eyed him fondly, taking in the sight of him. It was ever so inviting, and she didn't have to do anything more as he gently but firmly pulled her closer, dipping his head to capture her lips in a wet, hot, passionate kiss.

He let out a soft, low grumble from the throat as her hands were on him. She felt so very good in his embrace, and even better as he hefted her up and she straddled him.

"Good morning, by the way," she murmured hotly in his left ear. She moaned as she felt him enter her and start to thrust softly, then harder.

Their kisses grew more demanding as their lust and desire increased. Amy ran both her hands through his wet long hair, savoring the sensations shooting through her.

"Oh, yes... Oh, yes," she moaned, clinging to him even more tightly. She was close, so very close in so short a time.

"Oh, lord..." he murmured. She felt so nice and tight around him, and he was about to spiral over the edge.

They both reached the brink simultaneously, their cries of pleasure reverberating through the small bathroom. It lasted a pleasurable few minutes as they continued clinging to one another.

Afterward, Adam set the redhead back on her feet gently, kissing her as she smiled up at him. And he began to help wash her, affection evident in his every touch.

Moments later, their joint shower over, they stepped out of the tub to dry off. Amy was in the middle of toweling her damp red hair when it happened...

Adam dropped to his knees, clutching his head, and he almost appeared to be in the midst of a seizure.

"Adam! Oh, my God..." she breathed. She knew it was another vision, and she thought she would have been used to witnessing them by now, but she wasn't, judging by her reaction.

The blond man reached for the side of the tub, gripping it so tightly that his knuckles went white. The pain was blinding and searing as the vision rushed through his head.

He saw a man... a car... _Amy's_ car, her old Dodge Stratus. The man was faceless to him, as he could only make out the body and no features. He was looking into the vehicle, as if a mechanic... No, that wasn't quite it.

Minutes later, although it seemed like hours, it was over. Adam's breath was heavy as his eyes came back into focus, and he saw Amy kneeling above him, concern flooding her eyes.

"My God..."

"Adam! Are you all right?" the beautiful redhead asked, a slight quaver in her voice.

He gazed over her, realizing his vision had apparently spooked her. He hated that. He reached up and grasped her arm gently but firmly.

"Yeah... yeah, I'm fine." He stood back up, all business now as he strode out of the bathroom. All of his visions troubled him, but this one disturbed him even more so, in a different way.

Amy trailed after him, back out into the hallway and to the bedroom.

"Adam?" she called.

He quickly got dressed and ran a hand through his shaggy blond hair. He knew what he had to do, but he didn't want to say anything to the gorgeous woman at his heels. It would only startle her further. No... He had to be discreet about this.

Amy crept up closer to him.

"Please talk to me," she said softly.

"I have to go," he said just as softly, hating that moment.

"What? Why? We just got up."

Adam nodded as he slipped his feet into a pair of worn sneakers.

"I know... But it's urgent. I'm sorry," he said as he reached for his cell phone. He leaned down to kiss her. She responded in kind, though she still had a perplexed expression on her face afterward. "Look, why don't we meet at the diner in about an hour? We'll have breakfast."

Amy nodded, reaching out for his hand. She couldn't help but feel relieved when he grasped her much smaller one and caressed her fingers for a beat.

"Okay." She wished he would share the latest vision with her, but it was obvious he had no intention of doing so. She wondered if it was a particularly bad one and if he would share the details with her later. Maybe this time, it didn't even involve her. She only wished she could tell.

Adam gave her one more fond look before he quickly left the house. As he walked, he reached for his cell phone at his belt clip, flipped it open and dialed a number.

"Shawn, hi... Listen, I need a favor, and it's absolutely urgent."


End file.
